Prayer for our country
Originally published in the August 22, 1950 issue of The Christian Science Monitor
What are we doing for our country, whatever its name, wherever it may be? Not just the government, or the armed forces, or the atomic scientists, but all of us. What can we do? The radio and the press keep us informed that we have not yet established true peace in the world. Have we examined our individual preparations for defending peace?
We are not without the counsel of the great Nazarene. These are his words (Luke 21:9, 28
):
“When ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified.… And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Shall we not hear him as our God-appointed commander-in-chief?
During the Spanish-American War Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, gave her followers a patriotic and illuminating prayer. It is called “Prayer for Country and Church” and may be found on pages 14 and 15 of her Message to The Mother Church entitled, “Christian Science versus Pantheism.” Its rousing first sentence reads, “Pray for the prosperity of our country, and for her victory under arms; that justice, mercy, and peace continue to characterize her government, and that they shall rule all nations.” Then it goes on: “Pray that the divine presence may still guide and bless our chief magistrate, those associated with his executive trust, and our national judiciary; give to our congress wisdom, and uphold our nation with the right arm of His righteousness.”
What could any country need more than that its governing bodies consciously have the guidance and blessing of the divine presence? Praying thus, one Christian Scientist was reminded of the words in the Preface to “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mrs. Eddy where, pointing to the healings of sickness and disease brought about by the application of Christian Science, she says (p. xi ): “They are the sign of Immanuel, or ‘God with us,’—a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime,
To preach deliverance to the captives [of sense],
And recovering of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty them that are bruised.”
“Now,” thought the student, “when our officials disagree as to our right course or when we disagree with their decisions, is it not time to remember that the divine influence of Immanuel is ever present in human consciousness? Whose human consciousness? Just mine, and my party's? What conceit that would be! If I am right in any matter, where did the right idea come from? Did I or my friends originate it? No, if it is wise and right, it sprang from the angel influence at work in our thought, an influence impartial and universal.”
Must we not acknowledge that presence and power as effective beyond political maneuvering, articulate above filibustering or jammed air waves, penetrating by its divine influence even doors of indifference and walls of prejudice? Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health (p. 559 ): “The ‘still, small voice’ of scientific thought reaches over continent and ocean to the globe's remotest bound. The inaudible voice of Truth is, to the human mind, ‘as when a lion roareth.’ It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear. It arouses the ‘seven thunders’ of evil, and stirs their latent forces to utter the full diapason of secret tones. Then is the power of Truth demonstrated,—made manifest in the destruction of error.”
What is our country? Is it wide miles from ocean to ocean, from boundary to boundary, now so narrowed by plane and radio? Is it not rather our collective human consciousness? Spiritually speaking, is it not our consciousness of God, which is more than national, more even than international? Must it not be seen as universal Mind, where man lives eternally? The great Apostle Paul said (Galatians 3:26, 28 ): “For ye are all the children of God.… There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
What can we do for our country? We can pray for its spiritual prosperity, and live our prayer. We can pray individually and collectively (Christian Science versus Pantheism, p. 15 ): “May our Father-Mother God, who in times past hath spread for us a table in the wilderness and ‘in the midst of our enemies,’ establish us in the most holy faith, plant our feet firmly on Truth, the rock of Christ, the ‘substance of things hoped for’—and fill us with the life and understanding of God, and good will towards men.”