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A heart for community
It's natural to care deeply about community. Real love for family extends to neighbors—and overflows for the whole of society. This occasional column tells of how a spiritual perspective has been helping Sentinel readers help others and make a contribution to healing some of the collective challenges facing communities today. ...
Several years ago when I was living in a multiracial innercity neighborhood, a man broke into a neighbor's apartment and sexually assaulted her. This neighbor came to stay with me until she could again feel safe enough to stay alone. In the days following, I prayed often, not only to comfort and support my friend but also to alleviate my own shock and dismay.
Through prayer my friend, a fellow Christian Scientist, soon gained her peace and dominion and was able to return to her own apartment. In the aftermath of this incident, however, I found myself struggling with acute fear—terror—every time I had to pass a man of this race on the street. This caused me considerable concern. As a follower of Christ Jesus, I understood how essential it is to love my neighbor as myself. Reacting with fear certainly wasn't loving, nor was it how I wanted to view my neighbor.
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October 21, 1991 issue
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INSIDE: LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE
The Editors
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Seeing beyond racial stereotypes
David Reed
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Man—not a stereotype, but a genuine child of God
Julia Bea Rissler
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Vanquishing our Goliaths
Maria Isabel Camejo
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What do Christian Scientists mean by "animal magnetism"?
Scott Truesdale Thompson
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Dancing
Allison W. Phinney, Jr.
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What is holiness?
Elaine Natale
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When I was four years old, my mother took up the study of...
Sibyl M. Henry
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A few years ago I was laid off from my job
Kathleen S. Collins
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One day several years ago, I noticed a growth on my chest
Helen Dillen Miller
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In 1975, while I was working abroad in a large international...
Lisbeth C. Born