The world about us today seems to be in turmoil, with one crisis after another confronting men and nations. Each day there is a growing recognition of the need for decisions that will strengthen peace, limit armaments, and prevent the development of situations that may bring an atomic holocaust. Because of the possibility of an atomic attack, we are urged to prepare for it by building family shelters and even community ones. These, we are told, will afford protection from blast and fallout and increase from blast and fallout and increase in some measure our chances of survival in the event of an atomic attack.

Christian Scientists know that true protection comes from an understanding of the allness of God, Spirit. This understanding leads to a realization that our real shelter is not found in matter but in the understanding of the constant presence of God, good. All Christian Scientists recognize that God is good and also that He is All-in-all. Since God is All, and all is good, from what, then, do we require protection? We need to be protected only from a false belief—a belief that there can be something besides good, that there exists something that is not good from which we need to be protected.

We can rebuke this false belief and destroy it by knowing the allness of Spirit, by having faith in this truth, and by living the good we declare day by day. Mrs. Eddy states in Science and Health (p. 387), "The history of Christianity furnishes sublime proofs of the supporting influence and protecting power bestowed on man by his heavenly Father, omnipotent Mind, who gives man faith and understanding whereby to defend himself, not only from temptation, but from bodily suffering."

What protected the Hebrew men in the fiery furnace? Was it something material, or was it their understanding of the Christ, the true idea of God? The narrative in the Bible makes it plain that it was the latter, for the king said (Dan. 3:25), "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." The men came forth without even the smell of fire on them. They had refused to fall down and worship the idol (matter); they knew that idolatry was powerless and that God, Spirit, is all-powerful. Their faith and their Christly understanding proved that fact.

We may never be forced to endure the fiery blast of an atomic bomb in order to prove the power of God. But we must do our part in averting the possibility of such a blast. We must be alert to the mortal mind suggestions of strife, unrest, and injustice, of sin, sickness, and death, which daily confront us, and reverse them.

This reversal is not a mere dismissal from thought; it is an active denial and destruction of the suggestions by the conscious recognition of their unreality. How do we recognize them as unreal? By turning first to God. Can a report or thought be real which does not come from the all-knowing God? Of course not! Then each report or thought must be tested by these criteria: Is it good? Does it express love? Does it contribute to spiritual life? Should the report or thought fail to conform to these criteria, it should be reversed and replaced by its opposite.

Now this is not an easy task, for we are confronted by many reports and thoughts throughout the day. However, we must prayerfully recognize and separate the good from the evil, the real from the unreal, the true from the false, the spiritual from the material. As we faithfully do this and conform our thoughts and lives to the Christ, we shall find less and less difficulty in denying the reality of error. We shall find our true shelter and protection in the expression of good only; and thus we shall be able to face with calmness any threats that mortal mind may present.

Mrs. Eddy asserts in Science and Health (p. 34), "If all who ever partook of the sacrament had really commemorated the sufferings of Jesus and drunk of his cup, they would have revolutionized the world." If we who profess to be Christian Scientists pray aright and unselfishly for the world, it will ultimately be revolutionized, not by right thinking and acting. Part of our daily work should be to pray for the world, reversing all erroneous reports or thoughts with the realization of the reality of ever-present Truth and the utter unreality of everything unlike Truth. In this realization is our true shelter. As the Psalmist said (Ps. 61:4), "I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings."