Article July 23, 1979 Issue

The banquet table is laid for all

PIERRE PRADERVAND

Every year, millions of pages of scientific and technical literature are published. A scientist reading twenty-four hours a day could not keep up with the information published in his own field, let alone other areas. The world's food problem covers numerous disciplines—from agronomy to political science, from economics to ecology, from meteorology to demography, from geology to biology, chemistry, food processing, and nutrition. Some scientists claim overpopulation is the source of the food problem. Others say the world could easily feed 40 to 50 billion people, or over ten times the present world population. Faced with this tower of Babel of human knowledge, many scientists—not to mention laymen—feel confused. How do we begin understanding all this?

For the Christian Scientist, the correct beginning can only be metaphysical. Our starting point for discovering an answer to the food problem—as for any other problem—is clearly stated by Mrs. Eddy in the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health: "The starting-point of divine Science is that God, Spirit, is All-in-all, and that there is no other might nor Mind,—that God is Love, and therefore He is divine Principle." In the next paragraph, "All substance, intelligence, wisdom, being, immortality, cause, and effect belong to God."^{Science and Health, p. 275;} Other passages, such as "the scientific statement of being" (Science and Health, p. 468), and the description of God (ibid., p. 465), present the same basic truth. They assure us that God, who is infinite Love and limitless good, reigns supreme in the universe, despite the view of the material senses, which seem to scream the contrary.

Since God is All—infinite Spirit—matter is a mistake. What we call matter is not the true basis of substance. There can be no actual lack of genuine substance, Spirit. In their ultimate and true expression, food, energy, housing, represent spiritual realities.

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