When you see horrible things happen in the world

July 8, 2019 | 42 comments

When you see horrible things happen in the world, resist any temptation to stand aghast at the evil and allow yourself to get demoralized or depressed. Treat the evil with spiritual truth and make a positive difference!

The collective human experience is the effect of collective human belief. If something is wrong in that experience, it can be improved, corrected and reformed with a higher understanding of spiritual reality.

Evil is not a fixed condition. It is temporal, a lie parading as a reality, and it can be defeated and replaced with the power and presence of God’s goodness.

No matter how awful the evil before us appears, it can be overturned. But we can’t just sit still and do nothing for change to happen. Evil occurrences are calls to action on our practice of Christian Science to do something helpful—to address the evil, to correct it and to demonstrate God in control.

So, next time you see an injustice on TV, in the neighborhood or through some other news outlet, exercise your spiritual dominion over that lie by addressing it with spiritual truth. You can make a difference. You can improve those circumstances with your prayers.

The effect of truth understood, is far-reaching. You can help people in distress in faraway places. You can help make the world a better place for everyone.

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them….This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth” I Timothy 2:1,3,4, NLT.

42 thoughts on “When you see horrible things happen in the world”

  1. Thank you Evan for this call to action! It answers the questions “why did that happen?” “what can I do about it?” and “can anything I do make a difference anyway?” We have a church meeting tonight and this message will fit in perfectly with our chosen subject!

  2. Thank you so much for this spiritual refreshment. Christ and Christian Science alone can lift world thought up and out of a false material sense in which human consciousness is the slave of false belief, and lift it into the light of spiritual understanding where consciousness is enabled to delight in God’s, Divine Mind’s, permanent goodness. We are all on our way!

  3. When I listen to the Sunday church service online at TMC, and we pray silently, together, I am inspired to pray for THE WORLD as an International oneness of brothers and sisters, all living together in love, peace, prosperity, safety, health, joy, caring, sharing, compromise, consideration, and preciousness.

    1. When I listen and pray with TMC online I feel very motivated and connected with the world! Agreed. So lucky for these online healing services of which we are necessary.

  4. This is a wonderful way to pray for the world.
    I also pray that the doers of evil grow in compassion. Expanding compassion sets
    innocent people free. And I reread your
    blog substituting “disease” for evil – a particularly stubborn dis-ease, I expect will
    now be moved into the normalcy of God’s good. Thank you so much!!!

  5. Thank you Evan, such useful, practical thinking, keeping us on track as usual! So grateful for your posts!

  6. “Evil is not a fixed condition. It is temporal, a lie…” I am so grateful for this rousing truth ! It is indeed freeing and comforting. And, “The effect of truth understood is far-reaching.” What cannot be rectified? Who cannot be helped? Who is beyond help? Everyone everywhere is included! So hopeful, so healing!!

  7. In praying for children in detention, I turn to God, Father-Mother Love, forever at one with each child, inseparable from Her manifestation; I pray to see that the manifestation of that sanctified relationship of the oneness of parent and child must be seen in the inseparability of families, that each child always feels and knows they are ever held, cherished and cared for by their parents, however far away humanly they seem to be. That government is of ever-present divine Mind, the one and only Mind, the Father-Mother God, who enforces the omnipotent law of Love, the rule of the kingdom of heaven within EVERYONE. That, as Science and Health states, “Divine Love always has met, and always will meet, every human need.”

    1. Thank you, Diane, and, of course Evan!
      Today’s Daily Lift fits perfectly into this conversation, too.
      To KNOW who we & everyone IS!

  8. Thank you, Evan, for your selflessness in developing and maintaining this website, sharing these spiritual truths on SpiritView. I became aware of your blog a little earlier this year, and already have had many blessings from deeply considering the ideas you and your readers share. This morning, I was impelled to donate to the maintenance of your blog — it blesses the world! Today’s topic addresses so directly some issues that have nagged at me. I am grateful for your listening and sharing with the world the truths that heal.

    1. Thank you that you informed about your donating to SpiritView. I did it too as I am thankful for it and i know that not only Evan’s blog is so wonderful and uplifting, but there are also workers in the background, IT specialists working. 🙂

  9. Please check me on this; the implication of this post is that evil is “real” and God is a force to overcome this evil. Cognition comprises existence and to believe in evil is the very activity that creates it. The Principle that God is All negates the existence of anything that does not have Divine quality; including people praying for people. Resist not evil; because it isn’t there and to react to it is a belief in two powers. This violation to Spiritual Law may be the reason so many Christian Scientists, today, feel the need to supplement their Spiritual practice with medical services. Spirit can only function in Itself. Any help will be appreciated.

    1. Kenny — I think these two lines from Evan’s blog clearly state that evil is NOT real:
      “The collective human experience is the effect of collective human belief. If something is wrong in that experience, it can be improved, corrected and reformed with a higher understanding of spiritual reality.

      “Evil is not a fixed condition. It is temporal, a lie parading as a reality, and it can be defeated and replaced with the power and presence of God’s goodness.”

      But it’s the lie of evil, the belief in the appearance of evil, that we need to dispel — in our own thought and it world thought. And the ONLY way we can do that is to affirm the truth — God, good is All — and truly become conscious of this fact.

      1. Hi Mike, thanks for your reply. I am learning but for me it is like trying to carry water without a bucket by the time I get to the sink; I have wet hands. If God is All and All is Good what needs to be improved or corrected, especially it evil isn’t real– is my vision. Thanks for your help.

        1. Kenny, Read “God’s Law of Adjustment,” by Adam H. Dickey or listen to it online on YouTube. YouTube has many wonderful C.S. lectures. Read “Science and Health” straight through and then the Bible straight through. You will be healed and know how that came to be. You don’t need the bucket. You will have water whenever and wherever needed. Not only for yourself, but for all that come into your thinking.

    2. Hi Kenny…Perhaps it would help if you provide quotes from the blog today that led you to conclude “the implication of this post is that evil is ‘real'”. As Mike has pointed out, Evan clearly says evil is “a lie parading as a reality” so I’m confused as to how you came to the opposite conclusion? Not trying to pick on you…just trying to sincerely understand.

      1. Hi Brian, thanks for your reply. In the beginning “Treat the evil with spiritual truth and make a positive difference!” For me implies that evil is there to be treated. I don’t feel like you are picking on me; I try to learn by asking questions. Thanks for your help.

        1. Hello Kenny, I think understanding that Good (God, the one I AM whom we all reflect as His beloved children) is the only reality is a bit like bearing in mind that the sun isn’t actually moving even though we seen to see it rise and it is important to know the earth isn’t flat as it seems to be or we wouldn’t travel very far! Physical sense testimony is always misleading and it is the only thing that would make a reality out of evil. Hope this helps.

          1. Hi Eleanor, yes, this helps a lot. Learning to trust the Truth and forsake the testimony of the senses. In the Spirit of Truth,

        2. Hi Kenny, Perhaps it would help to remember what is meant by the word “evil” (or devil or error, etc.) as used in Christian Science. In the glossary of Science and Health “Devil” is defined as “a lie” and “the opposite of Truth”. It is always possible to suggest the opposite of a truth, but that doesn’t mean the opposite of a truth actually exists. For example, if the truth is “the earth is round” and the material senses suggest “the earth is flat”, that doesn’t make the earth flat. If I said “Treat the error that the earth is flat with the truth the earth is round and make a positive difference” would you also respond “that implies there is a flat earth that exists to be treated”? I don’t think you would because you know the earth is round. Similarly when Evan writes “Treat the evil with spiritual truth and make a positive difference!” he doesn’t mean evil actually exists and God needs to be employed to overcome the evil. He means as God’s expression our purpose is to express Truth and by expressing Truth we “treat” or expose any suggestion of Truth’s opposite as the lie it has always been and always will be. And that has the effect of us realizing evil is unreal and the suggestion of evil “disappears” to human consciousness as a result. I hope that helps. Much love to you! And please, keep asking questions!!! That shows you are truly thinking deeply.

          1. Hi Brian, this is very helpful and a great example for understanding what is meant by the word treatment. Thanks for taking the time to explain it. I am finding that this is such an exact science and one misunderstanding of a term is a “sin” (misses the mark). In the Spirit of Truth.

  10. As my good late prac used to say “dont see what you’re looking at!”
    Simpy knowing it is unreal is the greatest power.. the mortal senses lie ie cars do not get smaller as they drive away. Knowing God’s allness corrects everything! ✔

  11. This is such an important post. It is highly important that we add our healing affirmation daily to world thought. We can not underestimate the positive difference this will make and heal our world. Love your neighbor, love the world!

  12. What a timely and helpful blog – thanks Evan. And thanks for all the comments. Although this isn’t necessarily in the same line of thought, I’d like to share a little poem that I pray with daily which I now apply to the earthquakes in Southern California where I live:
    Unfailing grace
    by Eleanor Buser
    (Sentinel, October 21, 1996)

    I am in God’s embrace –
    I cannot fall or slip out of it,
    I cannot be moved or tossed about.
    No matter where I am or what I face
    I’ll stay within Love’s warm embrace.

  13. Wonderful post Evan. Lori thank you for sharing that lovely poem so applicable not only when thinking of the earthquake victims but to hold onto everyday.

  14. I’m currently bouncing back and forth between the United Church of Christ and Christian Science. The UCC, I think, is focused on directly addressing social justice issues. For instance, this Friday I’m planning to go to vigil for the deplorable conditions on the border. Christian Science gives me the correct understanding–God didn’t create these conditions, so they have no power.

    I don’t want to just pray for children living in cages. I don’t want to say, “God is Love!” and pretend it’s not happening. I think that I need to work in the world of matter to make material changes which better reflect God’s truth. So, I don’t know which expression of Christ works best–the UCC’s active engagement with issues, or Christian Science’s correct understanding. I’m awkwardly trying to do both.

    1. “Thought” is very powerful and everything is comprised in Mind. All Reality is going on in the divine Mind. “Mortal mind perpetuates its own thought. It constructs a machine, manages it, and then calls it material. A mill at work or the action of a water-wheel is but a derivative from, and continuation of, the primitive mortal mind. Without this force the body is devoid of action, and this deadness shows that so-called mortal life is mortal mind, not matter.” S&H 399:16.
      SH 234:4 ~ “Whatever inspires with wisdom, Truth, or Love — be it song, sermon, or Science — blesses the human family with crumbs of comfort from Christ’s table, feeding the hungry and giving living waters to the thirsty.” We are all bringing our thought into line with the Truth about ourselves and others in ushering in the “child” new thought. My. 158:9 ~ “We live in an age of Love’s divine adventure to be All-in-all.” No judgment, just righteous seeing. I am so grateful that you are being the expression of this Love to All in whatever way presents itself during our growth in grace.

    2. Thanks for bringing up a common misunderstanding about Christian Science. Some people think that Christian Science is not “doing something.” Quite to the contrary. When one goes to God, hears the truth, understands the way things are supposed to be, and then prays for the world in that light, changes happen. When thought changes, the world changes. People act differently. They act on enlightened understanding that leads to improved living conditions, etc. “Children in cages,” are set free.

      The best reforms in social justice are always going to start with a higher spiritual understanding motivating the needed reforms. How a person’s inspiration is going to take form in the world is different in all cases, but whatever form it takes, if thought moves, the world is going to move too. So, keep that thought moving in the right direction with your prayers, and the whole world will feel its positive effect! Human change for the better is the inevitable outcome.

    3. Dear Ashpenaz, prayer can and does move us! Yes, we pray to see the truth about a situation but oft times it leads us to action. If we pray and then listen for divine direction any human footsteps that would be beneficial are revealed to us. Prayer leads to right action. So yes, you can pray AND act. The key is to pray first! (=

    4. Hello Ashpenaz, Mimi Oka’s Editorial in this week’s Sentinel is very helpful. ‘Prayer as activism’. Making prayer our main activity and then letting that direct our loving outreach helps prevent us from believing someone somewhere is actually a material mortal instead of the spiritual immortal their Father-Mother knows them to be and we can know them to be.

      1. I really like these answers. Because of Christian Science, I can know that my efforts to make a change for the better will always work because, from God’s point of view, the situation has always been good. He’s always been in charge. I’m just trying to scrape away some rust that got in the way of our seeing it; I’m just trying to dispel the mist surrounding the situation. I know that God never created cages to put children in, and all I’m doing is working to make God’s truth visible. I hope my participating in a vigil or protest helps dispel some of the mist surrounding the horrible conditions so that we can see God’s love and protection for all children more clearly.

  15. Fist I thank Evan for this most important topic of today. Then I will continue the first sentence on top of today’s SpiritView : “When you see horrible things happen in the world, I pray to understand, that there is only one Universe namely God’s spiritual Universe, which is harmoniously governed by the divine law of God, which is the only law existingü, as God is All in All Then I make clear in my thinking, that as God is only Good, God’s law can also govern with peace and goodness and harmony only. This is so logical. And if one studies the textbook by Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health one will find out how logical Christian Science is, for that is the whole law of God. Am so grateful that Mrs. Eddy gave us these divine law so extended in her writings.
    Thank you all for your inspired comments and Lori for the wonderful poem/prayer.

  16. Evan,
    I got a chance to see this on Sunday. I was driving down the highway when a motorcycle sped past me and hit the side of the car in front of me. He lost control of his bike. He must have been going at least 55 mph. At first I watched him tumble down the highway until a voice said, “Don’t watch, don’t watch, don’t watch what mortal mind is presenting.” I literally turned my head so as not to witness it. When I turned back, the man had come to a stop and he got up and ran to the side of the highway. He then ran back out onto the highway, got his bike, pushed it over to the opposite shoulder, got on and speed off down the fast lane like nothing had happened. The only evidence was the dents on the car of the man driving in front of me. So glad he was ok. Physical law would dictate a man could not survive that scene but clearly he was unhurt. There was not even a drop of blood on the scene. Very grateful! 🙂

    1. Thank you for that wonderful testimony! That’s very good how you rightly reacted, namly to turn away from evil and look into Truth and Love. So in that sense Mrs. Eddy says on SH. Am so grateful that we can exchange helpful experiences and comments here. Thank you Evan!

    2. Lovely healing work!

      Please continue it to know man is honest, and does the right thing – so, the appearance of leaving the scene of the damage he caused is another erroneous picture to correct.

  17. On pages 96:4 thru pages 97:31 Mrs Eddy explains how Love will finally mark the hour of harmony, and spiritualization will follow, for Love is Spirit.
    I use these pages almost every day as I pray for the
    W

    See pages 96-97 S&h

    See pages 96-97 S&H as to what MrsEddy says about Love will mark the hour of harmony. I use this in my dailies
    COG

    Y f

  18. All interesting comments above and another thing I love about Evans blog is that the posts make us all think . The discussion is always helpful. In reading all above the thought that comes to me is when Mary goes to the tomb looking for the dead body of Jesus but she instead thinks she sees the gardener I guess as she was Expecting the worst after what they witnessed the day before. How difficult to expect anything else after the evidence before the material senses? How often do we see the “ gardener” instead of the perfect idea?

  19. Every one of these Truths are wonderful. I’ve been working with a pamphlet, “God Governs” which holds one of my favorite CS articles: “The Great White Throne”. It is so full of metaphysical thoughts from earlier years, that it is still effective today.
    Freida

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