Article January 5, 2004 Issue

Prayer at home and in the world

STEVE CARLSON with contributions from Jon Harder

Recently Steve Carlson of Sentinel Radio talked with Jon Harder, of Cape Porpoise, Maine, a Christian Science practitioner and teacher, about how to let go of personal anger and frustration—and pray more effectively to lessen their hold on the world.

Steve: Jon, as we look at the world, there are issues that generate a lot of controversy, to say the least. Whether people are thinking about events in the Middle East, or corporate scandals, or some other contentious issue, they sometimes find it difficult to know the best way to help. People may want to help through prayer, but how can you begin to pray and help those in need if you're burdened by anger and indignation, or despair or frustration?

Jon: I think the key word in what you ask is begin. How can you begin? And it can seem pretty dark. The atmosphere around us, even in our own neighborhoods or surrounding other parts of the world, can feel like it's being influenced more by heat than by light, to me—strong opinions, even hatred and anger felt by others, which in turn make us angry. That's heat rather than light. And I was realizing how those moments of clarity that come to us when we are willing to have them come, start me off in praying in a direction that I feel is helpful. Others also sometimes tell me this has been helpful to them.

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