Article December 3, 2001 Issue

A woman's visit to an assassin's cell over a century ago shows how to pray about terrorism.

Confronting the enraged mentality

BY Patti May Cangiano

Early In 1882, Mary Baker Eddy was visiting Washington, D.C., for several weeks with her husband, Asa Gilbert Eddy. One of the places she went to was the jail where Charles Guiteau, the assassin of President Garfield, was being held. They allowed her to enter his cell.

I asked myself this question: Why did she do that? Knowing something about her, I decided it must have been with the intent to heal. Perhaps she felt that, while many people are moved with compassion to bring healing and comfort to the sick, few are moved to bring healing to the terrorist, the assassin, the unjust or cruel.

Looking at the lives of great spiritual leaders over the centuries, we can see that these individuals—moved by the power of genuine love—were eager to bring release, not only to those suffering from physical disease but also to those in bondage to evil. Jesus set an example; when he was accused of eating with sinners, he replied that it was his mission to call them to "repentance"—to a change of thought (see Mark 2:17).

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