A FEW YEARS AGO I was living in Jamaica, teaching children about computers and the environment in the rural mountains. I'd been living there for a year and a half already, but I was still trying to be at peace with the people and culture of my community. At times, I'd be frustrated with the unwanted attention and blunt comments from perfect strangers. My frustration increased further when I began to itch at a circle on the back of my neck. At first I thought it was just another mosquito bite, but when it began to get bigger I became afraid.
I'd like to say that it didn't matter to me what my condition was because Christian Science treatment starts from the basis of the perfection of God and God's creation—in which I was included. But instead, my fear led me to seek a medical diagnosis. The dermatologist identified the condition as ringworm and prescribed some medications for me to take. Having experienced previous healings through spiritual means, I never intended to pursue a medical solution—my mistake was thinking that my knowing the specifics of the malady would help me to focus my prayers against it. During the course of this healing, I learned that the act of praying against something or someone just makes a reality out of something that never existed in the first place.
If I was really going to put my mental money where my Bible mouth is when it says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:3) and "The Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev. 19:6), then I needed to understand that one all-powerful God means that God doesn't win or lose bouts with an equally powerful devil or evil. That was the only misconception I needed to let go of. Because God is the only power, and there's nothing else to fight!
