THE HIGHWAY OF PEACE

ELLA H. HAY

How can we expect world peace while jealousy, greed, sensuality, and fear are evident in strife-torn homes, offices, and even churches?" is a reasonable question. But it should not cause despair, for Christian Science teaches that we should never limit the power of a single right thought to waken individuals and nations to the true understanding of God as divine Love, infinite Principle, and of man as His likeness. This understanding of God and man ensures a highway of peace through the length and breadth of human experience, blessing all mankind and fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah (35:8), "An highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness."

Mourning over lack of peace among individuals and nations has value only if the sorrow leads to constructive activity in overcoming the enemies of peace. Nehemiah mourned over the affliction of his people and the plight of Jerusalem. His mourning was constructive, for he obtained permission from the king to journey to Jerusalem to repair the wall.

Significant is Nehemiah's statement after arriving in Jerusalem (2:12), "Neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem." The men with him did not go about telling what he expected to do or mourning because error appeared rampant. Rather, they all worked faithfully until the wall was finished. Nehemiah's well-known words to his opponents (6:3), "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" have given courage to many students of Christian Science to continue their warfare with evil beliefs until they have won the victory.

Do we sit by the radio or television and, figuratively, weep on hearing reports of strife among individuals and nations, saying, "Too bad, too bad"? Or do we see what the claim is—ignorance of God— and then do something about it?

Jesus did something about the errors confronting him. He reformed the sinner, healed the sick, and gave the world a mighty impetus for peace. In fact, the Christian era was heralded with the words (Luke 2:14), "On earth peace, good will toward men."

One can do much more to help a troubled, strife-torn world after he has learned the lesson of holding daily, even hourly, peace conferences with himself. The Christian Scientist, knowing that God is All and that in reality there is but one Mind, begins from this basis to handle elements of war in his own thinking, thus helping to Ieaven world thought. The student's spiritually mental work includes the recognition that man reflects and expresses divine Mind and is conscious of no element of strife. The student knows that since peace is the consciousness of spiritual reality, men will he led toward peaceful solutions of human problems through the activity of the Christ in human thought.

Far more progress toward universal peace is being made than is seen at a cursory glance. Every constructive thought, every humble acknowledgment of the presence and power of God, is a contribution to the construction of the highway of peace in human experience.

The writer was once situated where she could watch the construction of one of the huge freeways that thread the United States. For a considerable time there was little evidence of a plan being carried out—only a steam shovel here, a man with a pickax there, someone measuring in the distance. Yet every worker had a part in building that highway and later could enjoy it.

Every individual effort made to recognize and obey the government of divine Principle is a worthwhile contribution to the highway of peace. Mary Baker Eddy writes in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 279): "The First Commandment in the Hebrew Decalogue—'Thou shalt have no other gods before me'— obeyed, is sufficient to still all strife. God is the divine Mind. Hence the sequence: Had all peoples one Mind, peace would reign. God is Father, infinite, and this great truth, when understood in its divine metaphysics, will establish the brotherhood of man, end wars, and demonstrate 'on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

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