SECURITY IN AN OPEN SOCIETY

DEBATE ABOUT EFFECTIVE SECURITY against terrorism becomes especially intense right after an attack or attempted attack occurs. But the need for effective security is constant. A question I keep asking myself is "What is my responsibility as an individual citizen in combating terrorism?"

An article in The Christian Science Monitor about airport security, after passengers thwarted an attempted terrorist attack aboard an airplane last December, caught my attention. It stated, "Many analysts say the adaptive and creative nature of modern terrorism makes passenger vigilance—while being the last line of defense—one of the most effective ways of stopping another attack" ("Last line of defense against in-flight terrorism: passengers," December 29, 2009). I kept thinking there must also be a kind of vigilance every citizen (at every level of responsibility) can engage in every day that can prevent attacks from ever getting that close to completion in the first place.

There is no question that the threat, randomness, and deadly danger imposed by terrorism require that the best possible security measures be conceived and effectively implemented to ensure public safety. Surely, alertness and vigilance are needed on the part of everyone—whether we are in some way directly responsible for providing public security, or are indirectly involved as ordinary citizens.

One of the things that make terrorism seem so difficult to combat is that one never knows what its next target will be. Will it be airplanes, border crossings, trains, or who knows what other public venue? All possibilities need to be considered and protected. But what has come to me in prayer is that the real target of terrorism is spiritually enlightened thought, and that understanding this is a key to making security efforts truly effective. Let me explain.

Spiritual enlightenment, coming from God to human consciousness, reveals the majesty of each human being as God's spiritual image and likeness. This spiritual light opens the thought of men and women to their God-given intelligence and ability to recognize and defeat limited and destructive material elements in human thought, and to work for the common good of all people. Thus, humanity is being moved to work toward an ever freer and more open society, a worldwide society in which the God-given rights of all people are respected and honored.

There's no room for naivete or complacency here. The limited, territorial, and destructive elements of the carnal, or mortal, mind are putting up a mighty fight for their supposed right to influence and dominate human thinking. Christ Jesus was keenly aware of this, saying, "Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass. ... But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matt. 24:6, 13 ). Spiritual Truth, which is God, is the light that destroys this mental darkness and sets people, and society, free. The prayers and spiritual vigilance of individuals throughout the world are needed to accomplish this result.

Students of Christian Science—the Science and practice of the liberating laws of God—have an especially important role to play in fighting the criminal and terroristic tendencies of mortal thought. Mary Baker Eddy made this observation in Science and Health: "Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization. This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding .... During this final conflict, wicked minds will endeavor to find means by which to accomplish more evil; but those who discern Christian Science will hold crime in check. They will aid in the ejection of error. They will maintain law and order, and cheerfully await the certainty of ultimate perfection" (pp. 96–97 ). Crime here would include terrorism.

The aim of terrorism is to frighten the human mind into retreating from the spiritual enlightenment that is moving society toward greater openness and individual freedom. It claims the ability to hide itself and thereby to carry out devastating attacks on human lives without detection. But there is no place in spiritual light for the terroristic mentality to hide. And the individual who mentally stands fast in the light of God's truth does not retreat in fear, but remains calm, clear-thinking, and alert in the knowledge that spiritual vigilance enables one to detect error and to thwart it, through prayer and intelligent security measures.

The efforts of spiritually enlightened and vigilant world citizens (whatever their specific station in life) are moving the world closer to universal openness and security every day. Each individual who joins this work increases the momentum of this movement, which like the dawn cannot be stopped. css