IN THEORY, La Canada Valley Sun, December 31, 2009

Topic:

The first decade of the 21st century has come to a close. For you, what has been the most memorable experience of these first 10 years of the 2000s? What advice can you share with our readers to make this new year and decade a prosperous one?

Our response:

There are so many distinguishing events of the past decade. We are all aware, for example, of the horrors of terrorism and war; the evolving political landscape shaping the twenty-first century; the explosive growth of the internet with almost universal access and newfound freedoms of expression; the potential for changing climate; and the economy. One could ponder and write in depth about each of these.

Increasingly evident behind many such events is the way human capabilities and capacities are increasing exponentially, at ever larger rates, with greater impacts and greater interdependencies. It’s a time laden with responsibility, unlike anything that has gone before. It’s also filled with hope.

But what about the spiritual side of this momentum? Every action or undertaking begins with an idea, a thought. As we let the Christ-message motivate our consciousness, we are led to better ideas. We all possess this ability, no matter what our station in life. As Paul wrote in his epistle to the Ephesians, “We are his [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them,” and in II Corinthians, “Behold, now is the accepted time.”

This points to our influence on both the present and the future. Mary Baker Eddy wrote in her book Miscellaneous Writings, “The present is ours; the future, big with events,” and, “That tomorrow starts from today and is one day beyond it, robes the future with hope’s rainbow hues.”

We live in an exciting era, with individual ability to be informed about and influence events to an unprecedented degree. We can also contribute prayerfully through understanding that God is in control of his creation, that both those with larger responsibilities and those in humble situations are nurtured by God’s love. We should not underestimate the role of prayerful spiritual thinking in ensuring a progressive and balanced future for humanity, where social, political, economic, and environmental conditions are peaceful, satisfying, and sound.