In addressing members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, its Founder, Mary Baker Eddy, once said, “Earth’s actors change earth’s scenes; . . . ” (Message to The Mother Church for 1902, p. 17).

“Indeed they do!” I thought, when recently pondering decisions of world leaders that have had harsh knock-on effects for the whole human family. 

But it also came to me to read those words in the context of Mrs. Eddy’s message. What a wake-up call! Her words don’t point a finger at what others do but at what spiritual thinkers, such as those she was addressing, could and should do. The entire passage says: “Many sleep who should keep themselves awake and waken the world. Earth’s actors change earth’s scenes; and the curtain of human life should be lifted on reality, on that which outweighs time; on duty done and life perfected, wherein joy is real and fadeless.”