On various occasions, after learning of alarming events in the country where my relatives lived—events such as kidnappings, assassinations, and lack of prime necessities—I found my thoughts filled with fear. Also, I felt impatient toward those who should be restoring order and were unable to, and hatred for the terrorists who were causing so much suffering.

As a student of Christian Science I knew that these very negative thoughts were in no way going to help those I longed to help, and needed to be corrected.

Upon hearing of the frightening situation my family found themselves in, faced with hostility from guerrillas and their supporters, I decided to turn to God in search of help, instead of surrendering to fear and hate. The Bible and Mary Baker Eddy's writings became my source of tranquillity, strength, and love for everyone in the turbulent country.

In Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy I found this passage: "Christian scientific practice begins with Christ's keynote of harmony, 'Be not afraid!'" ^{Science and Health, p. 410;} At first, ridding myself of the fear seemed an impossibility. But I recognized that if I did not begin at the beginning I was not going to attain the peace of mind that comes from the knowledge that all is really well with everyone and everything.

Christ Jesus never insisted on his disciples' or patients' doing anything they could not do. What I could do, I reasoned, was to firmly and honestly obey the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." ^{Ex. 20:3;}

For the first time I clearly understood what the words of this commandment imply. In declaring I had no other gods apart from God, I was saying I accepted no other presence or power than His. God is One, omnipotent and omnipresent, we learn in Christian Science; hence there can be no other reality to choose or believe in, no power of an opposite nature to God and in competition with Him.

Conscious of God's allness, I no longer feared the so-called forces of evil, because I could see they had no energy, intelligence, organization, or personal representatives capable of destroying or harming God, His creation (in this case, my family), or His law.

At another time, Paul's words "in him we live, and move, and have our being" ^{Acts 17:28;} brought me great calm. To this saying he had not added, "Provided one is in a favorable country at the right time." A geographic spot is where mortal theories would place individuals and events. But the real man is not a mortal, nor is he living in materiality.

Mrs. Eddy gives us a demonstrable explanation of this when she gives us "the scientific statement of being" in Science and Health. Part of it reads: "Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual." ^{Science and Health, p. 468;}

This statement helped me understand that without doubt Paul meant we live in Spirit, God, good, no matter where our abode on earth may be. Knowing God to be omnipotent and all-harmonious, and man to be His exact image and likeness, I could be sure that what was actually true of God and of me was then true of each child, woman, and man in Vietnam, Ireland, South America. And God's guidance and protection, I knew, were always universal and impartial.

The difficulty authorities have in controlling disturbances and alleviating suffering in certain areas gives the impression of a very real, alarming, or even hopeless situation. When I realized I was accepting this picture in connection with my relatives, I recalled the story in Genesis in which Eve allowed herself to be deceived by the arguments of the serpent as to why she should eat forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. These arguments seemed logical to her, and as a consequence she disobeyed God.

I was breaking the first commandment because I was accepting the existence of a situation caused by a power other than God, presuming that evil had displaced God and was in control at the moment. This mental picture had been painted by the material senses, which are capable only of perceiving materiality and false-hood. I could see I had no right to complain or to expect the police, the army, or the guerrillas to change without my first correcting my way of viewing the situation.

Someone may ask himself, "How can prayer provide safety for other individuals or contribute to solving some complicated, monumental problem?" To avoid destruction, evil would impose itself on us in the guise of our own doubt. Because God is Truth and is omnipotent, our understanding, trusting affirmation of truth must have great force.

The moment came when I was very aware of the presence of God and His power. Both I and the others were always protected, I knew. But suddenly I thought of those I had never considered "one of my own," namely, the guerrillas, those responsible for many tragedies. It was very difficult for me to include them in prayer expressing a pure and sincere love for humanity.

But if God loves His children equally, I reasoned, who am I to consider certain individuals as excluded from their sonship with God? It was very necessary to correct my resentment, and I found the solution in the Lord's Prayer, especially where it says "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." ^{Matt. 6:12, 13;} My great temptation was in not wanting to forgive and in seeing criminals instead of spiritual, perfect children of God. I prayed that I might be delivered from this error and that the terrorists too might be delivered from the impulse to resort to violence rather than to reason.

The result of my prayer and study has been, for me, increased tranquillity and, for my relatives, who also practice Christian Science, help in demonstrating protection and progress under adverse, dangerous conditions. Another gain of mine from this experience has been the perception of the great necessity for keeping myself alert to preserving the correct concept of God and man in spite of whatever bad news I may hear.

Through trust in God and with scientific, loving prayer, we all can help speed humanity's approach to the moment described in Science and Health: "'Of his kingdom there shall be no end,' for Christ, God's idea, will eventually rule all nations and peoples —imperatively, absolutely, finally—with divine Science." ^{Science and Health, p. 565.}