The peoples of the world are separated more by language than by space. Regardless of how helpful a universal language might be, however, the need is not so much for a common tongue as for an agreement in thought on what constitutes the basic realities of being.

The Bible records in the second chapter of Acts an instance where men "out of every nation under heaven" came to hear the early Christians, and "every man heard them speak in his own language." This took place on the Day of Pentecost, when the followers of Christ Jesus were of "one accord in one place." The Biblical explanation of this extraordinary event is that those who spoke were filled with the Holy Ghost.

What is this Holy Ghost, this divine agent, whose influence set aside language barriers and enabled men of differing tongues to grasp basic spiritual truths? It is defined by our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, in the Glossary of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 588) as, "Divine Science; the development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love."

Divine Science is a term that relates to spiritual Truth, the Word of God. It is inseparable from omniscience. Christian Science is divine Science applied to the needs of mankind.

People who share a common tongue often entertain many conflicting beliefs and practices, which shows that a universal language does not of itself bring oneness of thought and purpose. The great need is not for mutual concessions in order to achieve the appearance of unity but for agreement on fundamental spiritual realities. In other words, the great need is for divine Science, the Holy Ghost.

Unity of thought is achieved only when thoughts emanate from the same source, the one, infinite, divine Mind. The belief in many minds is as detrimental to the harmony of being as is the belief in many gods. In Science and Health we read (p. 469), "This belief that there is more than one mind is as pernicious to divine theology as are ancient mythology and pagan idolatry."

According to the Bible, there was a time when the whole earth was of one language. In a vain attempt to preserve their unity as well as to make a name for themselves, the people undertook to build a tower whose top would reach to heaven (see Gen. 11:4).

One Bible commentary refers to this structure as a temple with a tower, on the ceiling of which was a reproduction of the zodiac. As the heavenly bodies were considered to be seats of the gods, this was evidently an attempt to preserve unity through a spurious science. A social order built on such erroneous concepts would naturally result in confusion.

God, divine Mind, is the source of all true thoughts and is therefore the source of all real being. It is impossible to separate what we are from what we think, because in Science we are identified by consciousness, not by physique.

The divine Mind has endless ways of expressing itself, and these individual expressions are harmoniously related. As we embody spiritual qualities, we express this Mind in individual ways. Embodying and expressing these qualities, we truly experience them. They become our own.

For example, we experience Love by loving as well as by being loved. We are dependable as we express Truth; we are alive as we express Life. Likewise, we are followers of our Leader as we embody in our lives her teachings, her admonition and counsel.

Christ Jesus spoke in Biblical Aramaic, a tongue that has disappeared; but what he taught has endured and will endure forever. The ideas he presented are eternal. As we entertain them in our consciousness, we have the Mind of Christ.

Filled with the Holy Ghost, as the early Christians were, we shall experience "the development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love" in us. Because these realities belong to all men, we are able to express spiritual ideas to those of other tongues as well as to those of our own. An illustration of this is the translation of much of our Christian Science literature into other languages.

As we who appear to be separated from each other by language barriers reflect the one Mind, we share the same ideas and shall eventually increase the possibilities of communication until, filled with the Holy Ghost, we shall all be of one accord.

The nations of the world are being brought closer and closer together by improved modes of transportation and communication. This is but a forerunner of things to come. Ideologies, customs, traditions, need not separate people and will not separate them when the spiritual realities of being are universally recognized and accepted. The Holy Ghost, divine Science, which demonstrates man's unity with God, the divine source of our being, draws us closer to God and also to each other.

As Mrs. Eddy has written (ibid., pp. 469, 470), "With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science."

Ralph E. Wagers