The motto for this magazine is from the Bible. It's in the words of Christ Jesus: "What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." ^{Mark 13:37.} That keynote is of vital importance to anyone who is concerned for the welfare of humanity and who yearns to uphold the Master's standard of Christian living.

What are some of the immediate implications of Jesus' words? Certainly we have to watch our own thinking. The New Testament speaks of the necessity of bringing "every thought to the obedience of Christ." ^{II Cor. 10:5.} In watching our thinking more carefully, we can examine ourselves regularly and ask: Is what we're holding in thought conforming to spiritual truth? What about our next thought? Is there a tendency toward mortal and material impulses, or are our motives and decisions unselfish, pure, God-impelled, and God-inspired? We need to be alert not only to what we've been thinking in the past and to what we're thinking now but to what is coming. We can test the basis for our thoughts even before they come forth in silent or audible word or in deed.

In this watch we see to it that evil doesn't gain any foothold in our lives. We're not impressed by the materialism and sensualism of our times, and we don't get caught up in the pleasing thralldom of the hedonistic dream of material living so that we stop growing and progressing spiritually. It's not easy to watch while we're dreaming! To watch, one must be awake. So we don't dream away the hours, either by being captivated with the sophistication of today's worldliness or by simply gliding along with the pleasantness of a self-satisfied life in matter.

Mary Baker Eddy writes, "Entirely separate from the belief and dream of material living, is the Life divine, revealing spiritual understanding and the consciousness of man's dominion over the whole earth." ^{Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 14.} True watchfulness is consonant with this pure spiritual understanding and the uncluttered consciousness of man's God-given dominion. Mrs. Eddy also emphasizes that it is spiritual understanding that destroys error and brings healing. So our watchfulness, our staying awake and alert, is essential to fulfilling our duty as Christian disciples and healers.

The original Greek word translated "watch" in the King James Bible was grēgoreō, meaning to keep awake—that is, to watch either literally or figuratively, to be vigilant, to be wakeful. As Christian thinkers we keep awake to the trends of human thought, to what's going on in the world today; we don't put our heads in the sand. We need to be alert to what the world's leaders are saying and doing. We endeavor to be discerning about the signs of our times and not just the face of the sky. And with such spiritual observation we're better prepared to pray and to bring the healing power of Christ, Truth, specifically to the needs at hand.

There's another essential aspect to watching. It's not only watching our thinking to keep out the error that might try to impose itself on our consciousness, but it's also watching for reality—watching for the revelation of the newness of life in Spirit, for the demonstration of the goodness of God's kingdom. ^{Of interest on this subject is an editorial, " 'Watch' for a spiritual morning," Sentinel, May 28, 1984, pp. 927–930 .} In this way we're vigilant about working out our salvation. We're praying and watching for the continuous coming of the Christ to individual consciousness. It's imperative that we maintain this vigil undaunted by the world's restlessness, that we stand at the alert, keeping the door of thought ever open to the Christ.

As Science and Health explains, the Christ is "the divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error." ^{Science and Health, p. 583.} The Christ is the message of God to human consciousness. It speaks to every listening ear, to every wakeful thought, revealing that man is not actually mortal, but is the complete spiritual likeness of his Maker, the one God, who is infinite Mind, divine Love, perfect Soul.

An article of Mrs. Eddy's, included in The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany on pages 232–233, is titled "Watching versus Watching Out." Here Mrs. Eddy makes it plain that we must be alert to evil, or error, and aware of the way it would operate so that we can resist and overcome the imposition. Mrs. Eddy also points out the mistake of being at ease in sin. She says, "One should watch to know what his errors are; and if this watching destroys his peace in error, should one watch against such a result?" She answers, "He should not." And she concludes her article with the words of Jesus, "Our Master said, 'He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me ... and he that loseth his life [his false sense of life] for my sake shall find it.' (Matthew 10:38,39.)" ^{Miscellany, p. 233.}

So our watch leads us to finding life in God, finding reality. And through our fidelity in keeping spiritually alert, we cast out evil in whatever form it may assume, including sin and disease. We're not frightened by error, but rather we joyously and steadfastly bear witness to the spiritual truth of being through our individual demonstrations of Christian healing and regeneration. We welcome the eternal coming of the Christ to consciousness. Our watch as faithful disciples blesses all mankind.

WILLIAM E. MOODY