'To Bless All Mankind" April 4, 2016 Issue

Fulfilling a deeper need

Stephen Carlson

The editorial on the facing page was, to me, a reminder that much of what’s harmful to the world doesn’t just come out of the blue. It’s directly related to the need for a stronger moral foundation. The editorial points to some key instances in which there’s been an admission of wrongdoing. Yet the connection between an unrighteous state of thought and a harmful outcome may not always be obvious—or even considered. The result is that nations, businesses, and individuals don’t always identify or face squarely the underlying cause of negative conditions.

A small childhood experience might help illustrate. When I was in junior high school, my grades took a tumble, and I just wasn’t seeing why. Then one day the obvious dawned on me: My studying was superficial at best. Laziness was a factor, but so was a kind of dishonesty. I felt that I could cut corners and still get positive results. I began studying faithfully, and things turned around nicely.

Of course, not all of our own or the world’s problems specifically relate to character flaws or moral issues. But think of the difference it would make if honesty, for example—even in the smallest matters—was more prevalent! Mary Baker Eddy makes this thought-provoking statement in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Honesty is spiritual power. Dishonesty is human weakness, which forfeits divine help” (p. 453). Imagine if the loving power of the one God—the source of all good—was more consistently expressed everywhere. What a blessing for the world!

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