Never before in human history have there been such vast opportunities for each citizen to assist in the reconstruction of the world as await us all today. As individuals are we accepting our share in the building of a new world?

Even amid vigorous rebuilding plans outlined by statesmen, economists financiers, and architects, the vital part which every individual must play is not lost sight of, for it is recognized that it is not enough for millions of thoughts to turn eagerly and expectantly to this essential building of a new world. It is not sufficient that millions of tongues talk of a bright new future, and already begin to form rosy plans for the prosperous advancement and fulfillment of it in their own lives. If this rebuilding not of one nation, but of the whole world, is to take place, it rests emphatically on individual rebuilding or rebirth. This rebirth, being primarily a mental process, is not accomplished in a moment. It demands that we remold our aims, reanchor our affections, and renew our strength and vigor. How is this tremendous task to be accomplished?

Christian Science, lighting the torch of spiritual endeavor, offers a satisfactory answer. In its pure teachings, the way is made plain whereby we can understand man's true relationship to God. In no other way than in the realization of man's boundless and ample heritage of divine sonship can world problems of limitation or overabundance be solved. As each one's individual expression of the qualities of God is discerned, strife and enmity, personal pride and greed, will be stilled. Through the utilization of Mind's infinite ideas, which are available to all who acknowledge the oneness of God and man, nobler and increasingly successful methods will mark the world's progress towards permanent peace, security, and harmony.

Out of the magnitude of her own experience, our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, writes on page 15 of her work, "Miscellaneous Writings": "The new birth is not the work of a moment. It begins with moments, and goes on with years; moments of surrender to God, of childlike trust and joyful adoption of good; moments of self-abnegation, self-consecration, heaven-born hope, and spiritual love." It is, in fact, a demolition and rebuilding work of no small importance.

As false mental concepts are swept away by these moments "of surrender to God," moments wherein the human self, with all its pities for past ills, wrongs, disappointments, or failures, is seen to be just a fabrication of dream beliefs which never formed part of God's perfect universe, a new superstructure arises. It is a structure born of Truth and Love. It is truly substantial, for it is wholly spiritual and permanent. Actually it has always been present. Only ignorance of its presence has hid it from view. It is built on the understanding of man's oneness with God, oneness with abundance, oneness now with all good.

Surely the prophet Ezekiel must have glimpsed something of this glorious rebuilding process when he declared, "Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded." There appear to be many waste and devastated places in the world today. There also appear to be many wasted lives, lives that through disease, want, failure, or lack of initiative have not been fruitful. All these wastes are waiting to be built anew. Cities are just as much the result of thought planning as are individual lives. To rebuild on surer, healthier, happier foundations, individual consciousness must acquaint itself with God's every-whereness and all-power. It must become aware of man's ability to express Mind in limitless intelligence; to express Life in uninterrupted harmony; to express Love in impersonal, unselfed love.

The Psalmist's words, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain," provide a standard. Except our mental house or consciousness be built upon the spiritual understanding of God's allness and man's perfection in Him, all labor is valueless. Today we see around us the results of material thinking, of material ambition and selfishness. We are fighting to pull down and eliminate these worthless structures. The sword of Spirit is unsheathed to provide freedom to build anew on spiritual foundations.

As shifting sea sand is unable to support solid masonry, so thoughts made unstable by self-seeking, apathy, or timid conservatism are unfit for rebuilding a world. In some spheres the present conflict is bringing out something of the pioneering, intrepid activity of old. We need this spirit and also an unshakable trust in man's ability to stand with Christly fearlessness and strength against all the wiles of evil, and to vanquish each foe by recognizing the unreality of all that does not proceed from God, good.

Perhaps one of the most insistent arguments to conquer when this world conflict is over will be the human urgency to let go, to take a well-earned rest from turmoil and work, to retire into some backwater of peace. The worker in Christian Science will realize that there is not and can never be, a cessation from scientific, spiritual thinking and action. Wherever he may be, he will know that the hour, each hour, calls for higher proofs of man's sonship with God.

With keen insight into such arguments of the carnal mind. Mrs. Eddy encourages his to conquer them. She says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 340): "There is no excellence without labor; and the time to work, is now. Only by persistent, unremitting, straightforward toil; by turning neither to the right nor to the left, seeking no other pursuit or pleasure than that which cometh from God, can you win and wear the crown of the faithful."

Copyright, 1943, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, One, Norway Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Entered at Boston post office as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918. Published every Saturday.