Sentinel Watch June 3, 2002 Issue

Sailing with Paul

By Richard Bergenheim

We're all familiar with cartoon pictures of a shipwrecked mariner casting a bottle into the ocean with his plea for help. Today, the world is filled with pleas for help—floating along in bottles, or as messages on the Internet. A spiritual yearning is increasingly evident all over the world. This yearning is increasingly evident all over the world. This yearning is like a great sail seeking for a wind to carry it forward.

The responses can take many forms. But the only ones that will effectively fill this sail and move humanity forward are generated by the heart. When a heart has been awakened by the message of Truth and animated by the power of Love, it becomes an enormous influence for good. We may have the opportunity to help the world on a macro scale or a one-to-one scale. Both are signficant; it's the quality of the heart at work that makes all the difference.

One name for God's message to humanity is Christ. As people waken to the power of Christ, and to the healing effect it has on human lives, they can't help responding in love to others in need. Love loves. The response can be as simple as pointing someone in the right direction. Saying something such as "Here's something I've been reading that has been helpful." Or offering, "I have a friend you might like to talk to." Or simply asking, "May I pray for you?" Another may feel moved to support an organization, or a neighborhood or online group. These are all examples of the unrestrained, loving heart at work. The founder of the Sentinel quoted this poetic line in one of her talks: "Thy heart must overflow, if thou another's heart would'st reach" (Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings, p. 98).