Skip to footer

Look at what’s possible!

A Christian Science perspective: In response to the Monitor’s cover story about young ethical hackers.

  • By Stephanie Johnson

The Monitor’s cover story about young people working to improve the security of the internet puts a smile on my face and in my heart. To me, it is an affirmation of a God-derived law from the Bible that I consider almost every day: “There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known” (Luke 12:2).

I’ve come to realize that both this statement and cover story prove that there is nothing faulty or detrimental that will not ultimately be uncovered, recognized, and dealt with. I’ve also seen this passage from the standpoint that there is nothing grand and wonderfully God-empowered that can possibly remain hidden, and not celebrated.

The efforts of these young people demonstrate that weaknesses in security systems cannot remain hidden, but rather will be detected and corrected in an ethical way to strengthen – not exploit – the systems we depend upon. At the same time the accomplishments of these young people are seen as shining resplendent, proving that perceptiveness, intelligence, and depth of thought – something we so often attribute to older people – are already inherently present in those who are younger, and they don’t require a certain number of years to acquire or access.

What I have learned through my study of Christian Science is that this phenomenon is not about supreme human endeavor. Rather, there is a law of God that stands behind this revealing action. It is the activity of the Christ, that is, the action of God’s light shining brightly into every nook and cranny of human life to uplift it, as Christ Jesus showed by his healing works. This spiritual light operates unconditionally, without partiality, just as the sun shines equally on all. It is not a personal gift to some rather than others; it is simply shining to dispel the darkness. Intelligently trusting in this law of God enables us to calmly face whatever appears to be inharmonious and sheds light on ideas that reveal practical answers.

In many instances I’ve witnessed this play out. In one particular situation, I was asked to help find information about a person who was being accused of illicit activity. After several weeks of hearing opposing stories I was inspired in prayer to ask one very direct question I had never considered before. It turned out that this question broke the whole case open and led to an amazing resolution from every angle. Within a week the whole matter was resolved to everyone’s genuine satisfaction.

I’ve come to realize that, in the words of Monitor Founder Mary Baker Eddy, “Such intuitions reveal whatever constitutes and perpetuates harmony, enabling one to do good, but not evil” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 85).

Her statement invites us to open thought to see that rectifications are always possible. There is a law of God that is ever present and reliable. It acts as a light shining brightly, exposing limitation and whatever is erroneous. And this light, forever shining, illuminates what we each are as expressions of God so that we may all see more of the infinitude of good that is already present.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
editor@csmonitor.com
Subscribe
Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

Subscribe to insightful journalism

QR Code to Look at what’s possible!
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-Christian-Science-Perspective/2016/1031/Look-at-what-s-possible
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe