Global prayer for troubled financial forecasts

COMPILED BY ROSALIE E. DUNBAR

As Financial Markets around the world became unstable and in some cases slumped badly over the last few months, alarm bells went off. Could the subprime mortgage disaster in the United States spread outward and engulf other countries' economies? Would the US tumble into a recession? To respond to this possible crisis, the Sentinel asked a number of Christian Scientists to share ideas that have come to them as they've prayed about the global economy.

Writing from Winchester in the United Kingdom, Josephine Pickup notes: "Here in the UK not a day goes by without mention in the media of the global economy and its effect on our country. Many people feel that our island is like a small boat caught up in a strong current—everything seems to be out of our control and the draw away from safety and stability seems relentless."

In Ms. Pickup's view, this current of insecurity is propelled by "different opinions, forecasts, judgments, which are then magnified by fear." She explains that this statement by Mary Baker Eddy has been of great help to her: "Jesus taught us to walk over, not into or with, the currents of matter, or mortal mind" (Unity of Good, p. 11). Rather than getting caught up in personal opinions about the economy, she maintains, "To follow Jesus and know that in truth all is governed by God is humbling and progressive."