When world events are threatening, as they have been in the Persian Gulf these past months, people reach out to a power greater than themselves for strength and reassurance. There have been many reports in the media of enlarged attendance at churches, mosques, and synagogues, as people have turned to God in prayer for guidance and solace.

Now that the war is over, there is still a need for continuing prayer to find equitable solutions that will bring a brighter future to the peoples of this region. Christ Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (John 8:31). It is this Christian commitment and sticking to our prayer that will bring solutions for the toughest, nitty-gritty issues facing the nations of the world.

Many recognized God's hand in the liberation of Eastern Europe and felt that their patient prayers had been answered. The significant role of the churches there as they stood steadfast against the Communist governments gives an indication of the spiritual power of prayer to pull down temporal strongholds. Why should we be surprised when God, who is Love, answers prayer?

The Bible chronicles the wonderful promises of God to His people and their fulfillment in everyday life. Isaiah, for instance, tells us that desert lands will bloom abundantly "as the rose." The prophet encourages the exiled peoples of his day to turn to God, who will redeem them and lead them out of their harsh wilderness of deprivation and despair along a "way of holiness" to find their real spiritual home in their oneness with God.

At the heart of the hopes and dreams of the people was the promise of a Messiah and a kingdom that would bring all people into one fold, where God would be the lawgiver and protector. These prophecies were fulfilled in the life and teachings of Christ Jesus—the promised Messiah, or Prince of Peace.

Jesus' virgin birth, his life on earth as the Son of God, and his resurrection are still a surprise to those who regard as true only what the five physical senses deem tangible. However, Jesus' teaching and healing pointed to an entirely new reality. The Master's life illustrated that the man of God's creating, made in His own image and likeness, cannot be measured by mortal origin, race, or nationality; man is truly spiritual, the child of one universal Father, even God, divine Love.

For many today, the world is a pretty bleak and frightening place. As was true of God's people of old, there are millions of men and women who are forced to live in exile from family and friends. There seems little hope for a better future for them and their children. But Jesus' teachings and example show there is always a way out of these difficulties, for individuals and ultimately for all. He outlined a way of health and holiness for mankind. What is required, however, is for humanity to accept more fully the fact that spiritual reality has genuinely practical application today.

Christian Science, in line with Jesus' teachings and healing works, explains that God's law is always in full operation to awaken us from enslavement to helpless mortal thinking. Then we find greater spiritual freedom in Christ, the true idea of God, as perfectly demonstrated by Jesus.

Through prayer and Christian living, we start to discover our innate value and purpose as children of God. He surprises us again and again with His unconditional love for us. Divine Love's touch is sufficient to break through days of darkness and sorrow as we feel something of the joy of being what we really are—God's beloved child.

In moments of communion with God and willing obedience to His law, we glimpse a measure of the truth the Apostle Paul shared with the early Christians at Corinth when he said, "By the grace of God I am what I am." God, our loving Father, is impartial. He doesn't bestow His grace and love on one more than another. Perhaps it is the recognition and acceptance of God's grace working with us that will enable us to love more universally and so make a greater contribution to world peace.

Mrs. Eddy, in her Message to The Mother Church for 1902, gives comforting assurances that must have sustained her in her own wilderness experiences as she turned wholeheartedly in prayer to God and found comfort and healing. She writes, "Our heavenly Father never destined mortals who seek for a better country to wander on the shores of time disappointed travellers, tossed to and fro by adverse circumstances, inevitably subject to sin, disease, and death." She continues, "Divine Love waits and pleads to save mankind—and awaits with warrant and welcome, grace and glory, the earth-weary and heavy-laden who find and point the path to heaven."

Our Christianly scientific prayer, and humble acknowledgment of God's abundant goodness and love for His children, will hasten new signs of peace and reconciliation for all people. Let's not lose the expectancy of seeing signs of God's great love springing up and blossoming in the world! Why should this seem so surprising?

Ann Kenrick