Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
(The Bible – Matthew 5: 9)
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… thoughts winged with peace and love breathe a silent benediction over all the earth, …
(Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896 by Mary Baker Eddy p152: 6)
Let peace begin with me; let this
be the moment now.
With every step I take, let this
be my solemn vow:
To take each moment and live each
moment in peace eternally!
Let there be peace on earth,
and let it begin with me.
(Hymn 521 Christian Science Hymnal)
There is an urgent need for justice in our world, a justice that includes every individual. The needs of today are pushing us to search deeply for what true impartiality, fairness, and equality mean.
We can gain a deeper sense of justice by considering a more permanent basis for rights; by considering each one’s divine rights and the laws of God that operate to bless all with goodness. … continue reading
Where restitution is needed – no matter how small or large – divine Love’s law is at hand to bring healing and harmony.
In this article the author, José de Dios Mata, tells of his experience growing up in a dictatorship and how he came to rely on the higher law of Love which transformed his life, resolved unjust legal tangles and healed him physically. This article was originally published in the 28 March edition of the Christian Science Monitor. Click here to read or listen to the full article.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
(The Bible – Psalm 23: 1-6)
Dear Friend,
We don’t know each other, but my heart goes out to you as reports continue to emerge about the invasion and attack of your homeland. Things may look very dark right now; perhaps your plans for the life you hoped to live seem shattered. I and many others are praying earnestly that you feel the palpable presence of God, good, bringing you strength, hope, and inspiration.
These prayers are inspired by the presence of God made evident throughout the Bible. In Psalms, we read, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?… If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me” (139:7, 11). God does know you and care for you, for everyone. God has not abandoned you. Even in the depths of despair, when we turn our hearts to God, we feel the light and grace of God’s presence and love right here to protect us.
My father experienced the power of this divine light after the start of World War II. When his homeland, Japan, declared war on the United States – the country that he had been preparing to go to throughout his education – his hopes and dreams were shattered. As war continued, he felt alone and completely isolated.
Yet one thing did carry him through those dark days. It was his faith in God, who is omnipresent good. The ideas contained in two books – the Bible and “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science – helped him understand that God’s goodness is always present, even in the midst of devastation and war. During the firebombing of Tokyo, as my father ran around dousing the burning embers that were falling on his family’s home, he felt a powerful sense that he actually lived in the kingdom of God, that it was within him, flooding his consciousness with light.
That’s always true for each of us as God’s creation. As God’s spiritual likeness we have a relation to God that is, as my father put it, “as inseparable and unseverable as that of a sunbeam to the sun” (Takashi Oka, “No enemies in the kingdom,” Christian Science Sentinel, April 28, 2003). That he was able to feel this in the midst of such destruction has been proof to me that the “still, small voice” of God can be heard even in the darkest moments.
This is the Christ, God’s communication of divine Love’s power and presence. Mary Baker Eddy expresses it this way: “Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness” (Science and Health, p. 332). The Christ continues to communicate to each of us right now, empowering us to feel the healing, guiding light of God even in the midst of the anger, fear, and destruction of war. It is in God’s very nature as divine Love to constantly communicate and express tender care and compassion for each of us, and to enable us to know our spiritual nature as His children.
This is a powerful and effective basis for prayer for all of humanity. Its truth encircles the globe, and I and so many others worldwide are wrapping you in our prayers to see that, truly, “no power can withstand divine Love” (Science and Health, p. 224).
With love and hope,
Mimi Oka
This article appeared in the March 09, 2022 edition of the Monitor Daily.
… let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
(The Bible – James 1: 19, 20)
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
(The Bible – Psalm 139: 1, 2, 7-10)
… the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
(The Bible – Isaiah 32: 17, 17)
Nothing is gained by fighting, but much is lost.
Peace is the promise and reward of rightness. …
War is in itself an evil, barbarous, devilish. Victory in error is defeat in Truth. War is not in the domain of good; war weakens power and must finally fall, pierced by its own sword.
(The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany by Mary Baker Eddy p278: 21)
Take away wealth, fame, and social organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get clearer views of Principle. Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p239: 5)
Christian Science Canberra 