Article March 31, 2014 Issue

Blessing all in God's community

Rosalinda Johnson

Prayer in Christian Science is not only for oneself. If we are to realize the fullness of God’s blessings, we must look beyond ourselves and embrace everyone in our spiritual outreach.

In Psalms 100, we read, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise” (verse 4). As we love God, thank Him, and praise Him, we also acknowledge His greatness by recognizing and interacting with others as good, loving, and intelligent. All of God’s children express Him, and He tenderly loves each one. To truly love God is to love His creation, to love each and every one of His children. Jesus pointed out, “He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (I John 4:20).

As a young adult, I had an experience that proved to me the value of seeing others as God’s perfect spiritual ideas. Traveling across Los Angeles, I climbed out of one bus in a downtown area and needed to walk around a corner to the next bus. But just as I was rounding the corner, I encountered an unruly gang of young men who picked me up and began carrying me away. I prayed instantly, and it occurred to me that every one of these men was known to God and cherished by Him. Words I hadn’t prepared came from my mouth: “I don’t mind if you walk with me, but you have to act like gentlemen!” Immediately they set me down, respectfully carrying my suitcase and ushering me as perfect gentlemen would do into the next bus.