Following it’s pioneering 100th year transition to a primarily web-based format – a change which was covered by press and broadcast media worldwide – The Christian Science Monitor has announced some impressive statistics. The global weekly paper magazine that evolved phoenix-like out of the ashes of the (US) daily newsprint edition began with around 40,000 subscribers in April 2009 and that amount has almost doubled to 77,000 subscriptions. The free website has seen its figures quadruple to 6 million unique visitors, and 25 million page views, monthly. According to Quancast that puts it among the top 200 websites on the Internet in the world, for user traffic. This all suggests that the bold transition to the web, paper weekly and email Daily News Briefing format is working for the Monitor. Congratulations to all the staff involved in making this happen!
As impressive as these figures are, even more moving to those who value the Monitor as a resource for prayers in support of the emergence of solutions to world problems are a couple of reader emails. A group of New England nuns were in touch with the Monitor to report on how they use its “weekly review of global news & ideas” in order to pray for the world. Reading about that, another reader wrote: ” I subscribe to your magazine because I want to do what Judaism calls tikkun olam, the healing of the world. But in order to do this, I have to know what the specific problems are. That’s where your magazine is a godsend. I love its international focus…Your writers are not only accurate and professional, but they obviously care about humanity and the world.”
And while, understandably, I have not yet met an atheist or humanist who claims to want to heal the world “through prayer”, in my work representing Christian Science in UK legislatures and European Union institutions I have met many fine individuals that espouse these views who are happy to express their appreciation for the unique quality of Monitor reporting.
This is precious evidence, to those who love The Christian Science Monitor, that it continues to fulfil the object given it in 1908 by its founder, Mary Baker Eddy, “to injure no man, but bless all mankind”…and it is precious evidence, too, that the Christian Science movement has many and varied – and valued! – allies in the task of being this blessing!
This article is based on an “opensource” report by the Editor of The Christian Science Monitor, John Yemma, in the July 12 weekly edition.
Perspectives on Healing Prayer 
I agree. I subscribe to the Monitor’s Daily News Briefings for exactly the same reason. I feel far more in touch with world issues and alert to addressing them in my prayers for the world. The Daily News Briefing gives it to me straight, no embellishments, no gratuitous sensationalism, and that means I can get right to the root of the issue straight away.