If we want to help mankind through prayer, we need more than a knowledge of what's going on in the world, helpful though such knowledge may be. To be an active force for good, we need to view world events from the vantage ground of spirituality.

Spirituality brings a consistent awareness of the power of Spirit and the consequent powerlessness of matter. It gives a two-barreled conviction: that mankind's basic need in every situation is for a scientific understanding of God and of man's relationship to Him, and that we can help to supply that need through prayer because we can reflect the one infinite Mind, which governs all.

From this high ground, the constant rush of information reaching us through the news media can be seen in its proper perspective. Fundamental mistakes in mortal thought are just that: mistakes—regardless of their proliferation in human consciousness in the form of crime, disease, war, repressive governments, or ailing economies. These are essentially false beliefs and can be removed only by the light of spiritual understanding and Christian living.

If we feel that this task is burdensome, that it involves dwelling on every detail of a situation and then, with heaviness, marshaling spiritual facts to do battle with endless false beliefs, we probably need a fresh approach. Mrs. Eddy reminds us in Science and Health, "Science must go over the whole ground, and dig up every seed of error's sowing." But further on she assures the worker, "Mind-science teaches that mortals need 'not be weary in well doing.'" ^{Science and Health, p. 79.} There is a deep joy in developing our spirituality—and in sharing its fruits with the world.

Christ Jesus gave us unmistakable guidance for detecting and disposing of what needs correction when he said, "First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." ^{Matt. 7:5.}

The beam, or plank, that would block our perception of the specific beliefs requiring removal is the belief of life and intelligence in matter. This error may offer itself in many guises. It may come to us as sensuality, ignorance, apathy, fear. We have a strong obligation to deal effectively and specifically with the exact lie that would obstruct our view. But as we are faithful in casting out evil beliefs by discerning particular spiritual truths, the result is healing—both individual and collective. Through communion with God, through deeply felt prayer, we perceive and feel the influence of the Christ, Truth.

Such communing makes it possible for us to discern a specific world need and respond to it prayerfully—even before it hits the news. A Christian Scientist once woke in the early morning hours with a nagging restlessness that had no apparent cause. In fact, she had spent the previous evening in prayer and study of the Bible and Science and Health and had retired feeling quite aligned with God, certain of His absolute control. She got up vowing not to go back to bed until the need was known and met through prayer. What soon occurred to her was the need to defend mankind against natural disaster. The term itself made her laugh, for it was clear to her that disaster is not natural to God, who maintains the harmony of His creation eternally. Continued prayer brought a powerful certainty of God's government of all things and of man's exemption from what is termed natural disaster. She then went back to bed, feeling intuitively that this understanding was meeting a specific need.

When she listened to the news next morning, she heard there had been an earthquake a thousand miles away. The report stated that damage and injuries were surprisingly light, given the earthquake's intensity. She thought it far from coincidental that the previous day she had been in touch with someone living in the area mentioned and had agreed to pray for him about a difficulty totally unrelated to earthquakes. Shortly after the report, this person called to tell her that although his home had been at the center of the earthquake activity, it had remained entirely undamaged.

All of us have the capacity to listen for God's direction and feel the truths that heal and protect mankind. Mrs. Eddy explains this phenomenon in Science and Health: "Acquaintance with the Science of being enables us to commune more largely with the divine Mind, to foresee and foretell events which concern the universal welfare, to be divinely inspired,—yea, to reach the range of fetterless Mind." ^{Science and Health, p. 84.}

The spiritually-minded neither avoid the news nor buckle under it. Their aim instead is to help bring out the real news of God's kingdom in their thinking and in their everyday affairs. Their rapport with God and love for mankind shed the light of the Christ wherever their thought reaches. Through their prayers, the divine Principle, Love, works in and transforms human consciousness, thereby bringing instant aid and healing.