Christianity is more than a name; it is a resistless force that nothing can stay. It is the power of Christ come to earth It has been and is the most enlightening influence the world has ever known. Through it love, peace, justice, integrity, and many other elements of Christ, the divine ideal, have been brought into individual and collective experience. In countries largely Christian we recognize this influence in legislative action, courts of justice, economic systems, welfare organizations.

Christian Science clarifies the meaning of Christianity and restores the healing power that belongs to it, power that marked its beginning centuries. Mary Baker Eddy says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, "Christ's Christianity is the chain of scientific being reappearing in all ages, maintaining its obvious correspondence with the Scriptures and uniting all periods in the design of God." ^{Science and Health, p. 271}

Christianity is Truth, and so it is necessarily characterized by law. It is practiced through obedience to God's law, and whatever people do in disobedience to His law is reprehensible because it is outside the sphere of Truth, outside reality. God's law is the energy of Love, and every lawful. Christian act hinges on the expression of Love. The moral law given by Moses in the Ten Commandments hinged upon the impelling force of Love; it manifested the highest sense of divine law mankind could grasp at that period of their development.

Christ Jesus supported the moral law, going deeply into its meaning by calling for the integrity that obeys the commandments in the spirit of purity and love rather than perfunctorily or ritualistically. Jesus did not eliminate the moral code from the religion he founded but strengthened it and preserved a place for it that can never be taken out of Christianity. His "new commandment" ^{John 13:34} to love as he loved calls for progress in Christian worship, since obedience to it makes the spiritual healing of the sick and sinful possible.

Because of its inherent reality Christianity has survived the attempts of Satan to demolish it. In fact, it has survived mortals! The vitality of Christianity can be seen in the way it has developed and persisted through centuries, regardless of the unchristian, lawless behavior of many people within the Church as well as attacks from outside it.

Now that Christian Science is increasing our understanding of the command to love our neighbor dynamically and powerfully to the point of freeing him from the grasp of the carnal mind, the so-called mind that opposes Christ, we shall progress in our love of Christianity and appreciate every bit of evidence we observe of its presence.

A comforting sign of Christianity working in today's world is seen in the way many people are helping each other. There have always been charitable and merciful individuals, but now even nations endeavor to help other nations. This Christly, merciful, sheltering thought is spreading everywhere, and nothing can stop it because it is divinely impelled. God is back of it. Regardless of the present downward, negative pull of atheism, indifference to religion, crime, violence, narcotics, and moral irresponsibility, Christianity is still on top and winning its way over evil. A finer sense of brotherhood is evolving.

In the melee of developing opinions and standards of behavior, the Church of Christ, Scientist, must be the central figure and must guide thought awakening to the Christ. Christendom must be protected, loved, cherished, and supported—and sometimes forgiven. Through the centuries of its existence the Church has developed a sense of Christian unity, regardless of divisions and denominations; and this development will increase through Science.

In every little town or great city we may enter, we should thank God for the Christian churches we see. They mean that the one invisible God, or Spirit, is being acknowledged, that the Bible is being treasured and many of its teachings understood. Our appreciation of Christianity should echo Mrs. Eddy's who said, "I love all ministers and ministries of Christ, Truth." ^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 33} She also said, "I love the orthodox church; and, in time, that church will love Christian Science." ^{p. 111}

Orthodox blindness to Christian Science—the form of Christ's Christianity that is linking this period to the apostolic age—and even bitter criticism of Science will subside more quickly if we honor the acknowledgment of God and Jesus and the Bible wherever we see it taking place. This will mean progress toward the unity of all peoples in Christ.

Christianity and the world are developing together. Christian Science will help to stabilize this development as the Scientists love Christianity and apply divine law to the needs of today's world. The power of Christianity is working out "the design of God," uniting people as well as periods in the divine plan of love and peace.

Helen Wood Bauman