On the busy thoroughfare of a great city a monument which honors a brave general has been erected. Engraved upon it are his last spoken words, "Let us have peace."

To a Christian Scientist who paused to read, these words spoken long ago conveyed a direct and timely message; also, they seemed to echo the prayer which must be uppermost in the hearts of a great multitude of earnest men and women in many lands. For today the world is weary of strife and warfare, and of the poverty, suffering, and dissolution resulting therefrom. To the unillumined thought the situation may appear dark and even hopeless, but those who discerningly read the signs of the times can see reasons for rejoicing. It may mean that the daystar is rising in the troubled thought, heralding the dawn of a better day, for the weariness of strife and the intense desire for peace so universally felt at the present time indicate that the day is approaching when mortals will turn from material means and methods, which at best accomplish only temporary peace, and seek under God's direction the solution of the problem of overcoming world strife.

How true it is that for many weary years mortals have been searching in every direction but the right one for that which is just at hand. Nearly two thousand years ago Christ Jesus made the enlightening statement, "Behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The kingdom of heaven, a state of peace and harmony, is even now within our power to comprehend. This glorious fact is revealed to human understanding through the great fundamental truths plainly stated in the Scriptures and illumined in Christian Science. Therein we learn that God is the only cause or creator, and that He is good. The universe, including man, being the effect of this absolutely good cause, must partake of its divine nature; it must be spiritual, perfect, and harmonious, even "very good," as stated in the first chapter of Genesis. Man, then, governed by divine Principle, exists at the standpoint of spiritual perfection, and is ever at peace.

God, good, being omnipotent and omnipresent, the only place where discord could even seem to exist is in the supposititious mortal or carnal mind, which, to quote Paul, is "enmity against God." In this carnal mind originate all the evil characteristics which, coming to the human consciousness as mental suggestions, incite to hatred and strife. This fact is referred to in the epistle of James. "From whence come wars and fightings among you?" asks the apostle. "Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?"

This being true, it is in the human mind that reformation must begin. In other words, the way of true peace must come through purification of the human consciousness. The "suppositional warfare between truth and error" (Science and Health, p. 288) has been carried on since the beginning of time. Truth will be proclaimed the victor only as scientific warfare is courageously waged by individuals, instructed in Christian Science, against the phases of evil which reach down deep into the soil of the human mentality and form the basis of war, such as selfishness, hatred, revenge, greed, tyranny human will, fear, and the like.

It may seem a far cry from the individual engaged in the workshop, office, or home, to so great an achievement as the accomplishment of world peace; but when it is remembered that a nation is but an aggregation of individuals held together by common ties of government and of historical traditions, it will be seen that peace can come to the national consciousness only as it comes to individual consciousness.

Throughout the Scriptures are to be found many heartening prophecies of the final overcoming of evil through righteous endeavor. And according to Christian Science the sum total of all error must fade into oblivion before the mighty power and activity of Truth. It is certain that the lusts of the human mind, which incite to war, though seemingly powerful, will be overcome by active right thinking and the application of Truth to erroneous conditions.

In the light of Christian Science the problem of world pacification is seen to be primarily mental; and, this being true, each individual, however humble, may have a share in its solution, for each may stand guard at the gateway of his own thinking and refuse entrance to evil, warring suggestions, substituting for these the opposite qualities of humility, unselfishness, love, and trust in good. As these and other Godlike thoughts are entertained and put into practice in one's relations with others, the individual will find peace coming to his consciousness and abiding there, and he will thus prove for himself and for others the power of righteous thinking to destroy evil beliefs and practices.

Jesus was the greatest exponent of peace the world has ever seen. Knowing well the allness of God, good, and the present perfection of spiritual man, made in His image and likeness, he could not be deceived by the seeming power of the carnal mind. He saw, however, the need of resisting and overcoming its false claim to power. He established a precedent for his followers when he said, "I came not to send peace, but a sword." Taken metaphysically, "sword" may indicate the destruction of error, of material ease and apathy. The great Master practiced his teachings in daily life, and thus proved the power of Spirit over the beliefs of matter and evil. Referring to his teaching, he said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace."

The discovery of Christian Science in the year 1866 by Mary Baker Eddy restored and made available to the world the mighty truth which Christ Jesus taught and practiced, namely, that good alone is power, and that so-called evil, far from being an entity, is but the supposititious opposite of good, even as darkness is but the supposititious opposite of light. The understanding of this truth overcomes the fear of evil and revolutionizes human thought. On page 450 of her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy has written, "The Christian Scientist has enlisted to lessen evil, disease, and death; and he will overcome them by understanding their nothingness and the allness of God, or good."

The word "enlisted" indicates willing enrollment into active service for the purpose of overcoming a common enemy. The common enemy of mankind is the belief that matter and Spirit, good and evil, coexist and are equally real and powerful. The understanding of the glorious truth of the allness of God, good, shows this state of belief to have no foundation in fact. Of the power of scientific right thought to make itself felt, our Leader has written in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 152), "Of this we may be sure: that thoughts winged with peace and love breathe a silent benediction over all the earth, cooperate with the divine power, and brood unconsciously o'er the work of His hand."

Christ, Truth, which our Way-shower understood and so successfully demonstrated, has never left the earth. Though unseen by mortal sense, it has unfolded throughout the ages, and today is finding a powerful impetus through the teaching and practice of Christian Science. The Christ, or spiritual idea, must eventually destroy entirely humanity's false belief in an evil power.

"Let us have peace." Let us make peace first in our own consciousness by spiritualization of thought and diligent application of the truth as revealed in Christian Science. As true peace is enthroned within, individuals exert a peaceful influence in the group, and in the home, church, business office, and shop. Peaceful groups make for a peaceful community, and this influence will at length be felt throughout the entire nation.

In this way a powerful impetus is being given to the cause of world peace, thus bringing a step nearer the happy day referred to by the prophet Isaiah when he wrote, "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."