Article October 22, 2001 Issue

A MOMENT of flickering unity

By Christie Clarke

In response to the international request for worldwide unity and prayer, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, held its first outdoor church services on the plaza beside its reflecting pool on September 19. Under a bright noon sun and again under the finest sliver of an early evening moon, the services included readings from the Bible and Science and Health, prayer, music by a brass quintet, and spontaneous comments from the congregation. After the evening meeting, hundreds of attendees tried to light candles in the brisk wind. This is one churchgoer's account of a moment of flickering union between strangers.

It was the glow in their faces. Yes, there was inspiration in the reading, the hymns, the comments at the outdoor church service. But mostly, it was the glow in their faces I'll remember.

After the service, church representatives with long-nosed butane lighters tried and tried and finally successfully lit my little candle. The wind would have nothing to do with that. We tried again and failed.

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