August Newsletter - Uplifting Ideas

What Causes Change—and How Can Christian Scientists Ensure It’s the Right Kind?

by Denise Cupp, CS

In a world that seems to be changing at a dizzying pace—politically, socially, economically—we’re all asking the same question: What causes change? And as Christian Scientists, perhaps an even deeper question arises: How do we ensure that change is aligned with God, good?

The first step is recognizing that true change—meaningful, healing, progressive change—doesn’t originate in human opinion, reaction, or emotion. It begins with God. Unless we individually turn to the Divine Mind for spiritual insight into our communities, the world, and its leaders, we may find ourselves reacting to the shifting human scene. 

A desire to look through a spiritual lens realigns our view. It lifts us out of confusion, fear, and a sense of chaos or lack. It brings human sense out of itself and into line with God and His perfect, omniscient, omnipresent, world, and uplifts the human circumstances. This naturally stirs human sense into higher avenues. As thought rises, we find ourselves “entertaining angels unawares” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 299). These “angels” are spiritual intuitions that guide us forward with calm, clarity, and confidence in God's government.

What if we feel our leaders are heading in the wrong direction? It’s worth asking:

Was it prayer or human reasoning that led us to that conclusion?

Mary Baker Eddy offers profound insight in her article Personality:

“Had the ages helped their leaders to, and let them alone in, God’s glory, the world would not have lost the Science of Christianity.”

And she follows with a question that still challenges us today:

“What went ye out for to see? A person, or a Principle?”

What we look for determines the nature of our following.

If we're drawn to personality or charisma, we may find ourselves easily swayed, like “a reed shaken with the wind.” But when we support our leaders in their pursuit of God's direction—and allow them the stillness needed to commune with divine Truth—we are blessed as well. This quiet trust in God helps dissolve personal sense, brings healing, and strengthens our own practice as Christian Scientists.

If our thought is uplifted through divine Science, the changes around us will follow—not forced, not fear-based, but God-governed. We may not know exactly where change will lead us, but we can know who is leading. God. Always.

And we can absolutely trust that.