Miss Congeniality, a popular comedy about pageantry has a scene about "world peace." In the pageant, each contestant steps up to the microphone to answer the question, "What's the most important thing our society needs?" Each person has the same repetitious answer, "World peace." Here is the clip (I share this clip endearingly, as someone who briefly in my teenaged years, did the pageant thing and was given the title of a "Miss Congeniality." But yet, just like the viewers of the movie can see-- We all want something deeper.) This hilarious scene makes light of the desire for world peace without demonstration. It was a trend to parrot "world peace" but what was being done about it? What about when things don't feel so light-hearted... And perhaps hearts feel heavy, seriously and urgently desiring tangible world peace? How do we demonstrate it, contribute to it... How do we actually feel it and obtain it? Staying above the sides and the politics, we can ask "Love, what do you see; about this situation, about your creation and how you made them?" We can demonstrate our desire for world peace, not just in lending a helping hand, but in prayer. Earnest prayer (not something simply mentioned publicly and then dismissed) is demonstration, it is doing something. Prayer shows that those in need are embraced with Love, in thought therefore in action.
You'll see in prayer, that there is no room for allowance of any sin, or any breaking of God's laws. And, prayer reveals to us how God made Her creation, and how the error is condemned (but is separate from God's creation). This truth applied, reveals this truth about man: "A spiritual idea has not a single element of error, and this truth removes properly whatever is offensive." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 463:12–13) As we actively desire world peace, I love this prayer that inspires righteous action: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus xx. 3.) The First Commandment is my favorite text. It demonstrates Christian Science. It inculcates the tri-unity of God, Spirit, Mind; it signifies that man shall have no other spirit or mind but God, eternal good, and that all men shall have one Mind. The divine Principle of the First Commandment bases the Science of being, by which man demonstrates health, holiness, and life eternal. One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself;' annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 340:15–-9)
Starting with what Love, God sees about peace, we demonstrate it in our prayer and therefore in all action-- This blesses the world!
Photo shared with permission, taken by Matt Felperin. Have a great evening,
Elaina
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