Deliver me from ‘the violent man’

With the marked increase in violent acts around the world, many are asking how they can keep themselves and their loved ones from being victims of intentional or random acts of violence. Applying in a practical way the knowledge that Christian Science gives us of our true God-given exemption from evil, as the spiritual offspring of God, was important in my work as a youth corrections counselor.

Once, as the advisor of a college student intern, I was observing her interaction with a client in an adjoining room. Suddenly, he pulled a knife and threatened her. I reached out to God, the all-good divine Mind, for wisdom about what to do, and it came to me to immediately go in and place myself between them. As I entered the room, I mentally affirmed that Mind is governing its entire creation and that there is nothing and no one outside of or separated from this divine authority. I felt a deep confidence in God’s all-encompassing presence and power.

I faced the young man and quietly said, “You will not hurt her or anyone else. You don’t want to do that. Give me the knife.” After a long pause, he handed me the knife, and I left with the intern. The understanding of God as omnipresent, infinite Love had ruled fear out of me. And although initially shaken, the intern assured me that she was OK. (She later confirmed that she remained entirely free from any post-traumatic issues in the weeks and months afterward.)

When I went back to the room, I continued to feel a deep peace. I added a penalty for the young man’s behavior, the terms of which, for the first time, he accepted and fulfilled without complaint.

Over the following months of working with the young man, I prayed daily to understand that, as spiritual ideas of divine Mind, we are motivated only by this infinite Mind, the only Mind there is. God’s kingdom, where Mind is supreme, is “within” each of us (see Luke 17:21). God is the only power; therefore, evil has no power to take root in consciousness – no ability to create a violent person. The absolute sovereignty of God, good, gives us the unassailable ability to overcome every evil that confronts us.

Within 18 months, the young man went from being known as a guaranteed repeat offender to being described by his job supervisor as an outstanding role model. Eventually, he apologized for his habitual belligerent and aggressive behavior.

No one needs to suffer from either violence or the fear of it. We can find sure security in God. We can pray, “Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man,” knowing that violence is never really expressed in God’s children (Psalms 140:1). This petition can be a vital first step toward freedom from both terrorism and terror.

Christian Science, the Science that explains God’s protecting and sustaining power, shows us how to safeguard ourselves and others by understanding God’s ever-presence and omnipotence. The Bible provides many examples of individuals finding safety through reliance on God. Jesus showed God’s overarching power when he walked unharmed through an angry crowd that wanted to throw him off a cliff (see Luke 4:28-30). He took a consistent stand against violence and, after his crucifixion, proved the ultimate powerlessness of evil through his resurrection and ascension.

Christian Science teaches how to resist the fear of evil, which is often ratcheted up by dwelling on troubling thoughts. It also shows us how to overcome worry and panic by relying on the spiritual counterfact – the truth that God is omnipotent Mind and the source of all being.

God is also Spirit, so God’s creation is spiritual, made in the image and likeness of God (see Genesis 1:26, 27) and governed by God’s law. Therefore, we include such qualities as integrity, wisdom, safety, and affection. This divine view of God and man (the generic term for all of us as God’s children) acts as a dependable defense and a regenerative influence in our lives.

Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of the divine Science taught and practiced by Jesus, assures us, “Good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort. And not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited” (“The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany,” p. 210).

As we persistently identify ourselves and others as God’s spiritual likeness and strive to express the qualities of forgiveness and love, we will increasingly experience God’s promise of safety and deep-seated peace.

Adapted from an article published in the August 29, 2022, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.