RADIO PROGRAM No. 67 - Bridging the Barriers of Prejudice

On this program Wendell P. Morrow of Austin, Texas, told of his own experience, as follows:

I was lying on my bunk in a camp near Calcutta the night before I was to leave on a troopship for the United States. As I thought about the time I had spent overseas, there was one thing I especially regretted. I hadn't had an opportunity to learn very much about how the Chinese and Indian people lived and what they thought.

Christian Science had taught me the true meaning of the brotherhood of man and that if there was ever to be peace in the world we must learn to understand each other. For this reason, I had wanted very much to become acquainted with some Indian and Chinese families. I had acquired a deep respect for the good each man expresses as a child of the one God, one Father.

The next day after boarding our troopship, I heard some of the other men complaining that Indian and Chinese people were coming aboard. These men were especially bitter that Indian and Chinese students were being allowed to come to the United States while a few of their buddies bad to wait for another troopship. I could understand the feelings of our troops, and have since been grateful that Christian Science had prepared me to see through the outward appearance of discord and recognize the fact that all men have one divine Father.

I could see what a wonderful thing it was for those Indian and Chinese students to have the opportunity to live for a while in my country. Because I took an interest in these students, I went to visit them in their compartment on the ship. I noticed that they didn't seem to be fully informed of their rights and privileges on the ship.

About a day or two out on the Bay of Bengal, while on my way to visit these Chinese and Indian students again, I met an officer coining out of their compartment. I spoke to him about the welfare of these students. As a result, I was appointed an Acting First Sergeant and asked to take charge of the Indian and Chinese students during their voyage to New York. Because of storms, the voyage took nearly thirty days; so we had a chance to become well acquainted.

One of the things that made me completely at home with them was that, due to Christian Science, I regarded them without mental reservation as my brothers. They felt this and responded to it wholeheartedly. Those without the understanding of true brotherhood regarded these foreign students on this troopship as an obstacle rather than an opportunity, It was remarkable the way the presence of God, divine Love, in my thinking brought out many ideas to make their trip a pleasant one.

The many letters of gratitude I later received from these students made me realize what a wonderful opportunity God, divine Mind, had provided for me.

The commentary was as follows:

Friends, our guest's inspiring story points out that there's a real opportunity for us to help our neighbor and ourselves as well. He was able to prove that when unselfish love and consideration for others are based on the understanding of one God, one loving Father of all, they can bridge the barriers of prejudice. First of all, the barriers had to be overcome in Sergeant Morrow's own thinking, by his understanding of the spiritual basis of true brotherhood. Then he was able to put brotherhood into action. This blessed him, and it blessed others. What a promise this holds for everyone troubled by strife, prejudice, or misunderstanding! Our guest's experience on the troopship was a practical proof of the radiant promise that heralded the Christ: "On earth peace, good will toward men."

It's possible for all of us to think and act in a more generous, more brotherly way, not only when justly and kindly treated, but when we are tempted to feel indifferent or hostile. But we all know it can't be done just by good intentions. Too often such efforts break down and lead only to confusion and disappointment. To be successful, brotherhood must have a sound spiritual basis. It must include a sincere desire to overcome prejudice.

Our guest found much light on how to eliminate prejudice and establish brotherhood in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." In fact its author, Mary Baker Eddy, presents the subject so clearly that many have found harmony restored to their homes, co-operation brought about in business, and tangled relationships ironed out just through studying this book. For example, Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 467): "It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established."

Here the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science gives the foundation for brotherhood: one God and Father, one divine Love which governs all. This is in accord with the Bible, for we read in Malachi, "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?"

So to overcome prejudice and establish peace, we learn to begin with one universal God who is divine Love. Now the Bible tells us that God treated man in His own image and likeness. From this it follows that the real nature of man is like God. Since God is Love, man in His likeness must be loving. Since God is lovable. His likeness must be lovable. We can always love without prejudice the man God made. Since God is perfect Mind, divine Spirit, this real man must be spiritual and perfect. As we think about this we gain a clearer sense of man's eternal spiritual status as the son of God.

Now what happens when we glimpse the meaning of these facts we have been discussing? Our guest's experience gives us an illusstration. We find it is natural to turn to God to gain the right concept of our neighbor. We learn to see that selfishness and prejudice, jealousy and greed, have never actually been attached to anyone in God's kingdom. They don't belong to man in God's likeness. Seeing this, we can overcome strife and discord in our own thinking. And the glorious result, when we thus keep our thought uplifted, is that trouble no longer comes to us in the guise of our neighbor. Further-more, we help to remove the strife that plagues the world.

The resulting change in thought opens the way for God's power to heal and bless. It removes prejudice and misunderstanding. In this way, we can make our thoughts and actions express the healing Christ, the spirit of Life, Truth, and Love —which is always present for us to understand and practice. Thus it is that we may have a share in establishing world peace and the true brotherhood of man on earth.

Perhaps you'd like to know one of the ways in which Christian Scientists feel they can have a share in establishing world peace and the true brotherhood of man on earth. It is through using our "Daily Prayer" in the Manual of The Mother Church written by Mrs. Eddy. Let me read it to you (Art. VIII, Sect. 4 ): "'Thy kingdom come;' let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!"

The musical selection on the program was Hymn No. 217 from the Christian Science Hymnal.