Article June 21, 1969 ISSUE

Changing the Notion of Chance

ELOISE PATTILLO HENDRICK

The belief that accidents are inevitable is deeply ingrained in human thought. Recently a student of Christian Science clearly saw how important it is not to accept everyday suggestion of errors, flaws, or accidents passively, either in trivial or significant matters. She realized that she should use her understanding of divine Mind's perfect government of man to reverse every appearance of a mistake. She realized that she should see the unreality of mortal mind's, or evil's, claim that man can be accident-prone or that man's harmony can be tampered with in any way.

She declared frequently that law and order are divinely assured and cannot be interfered with by anything as unauthorized by God as carelessness, forgetfulness, or fallibility. She found it helpful and inspiring to dwell on the fact of God's unerring and complete government of all His creation and to insist that there is nothing outside the deific control.

A few weeks later the Christian Scientist and her husband arrived late at night at an international airport to make an overseas flight connection they had arranged for several months in advance. The check-in attendant informed them regretfully that on account of a computer mistake their reservations had been canceled. All seats were filled. They then told an official in charge that it was necessary for them to keep an appointment overseas the next morning. But he only said, "When a computer makes a mistake, there is nothing a human being can do about it."

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