College is a place where currents of thought flow freely, and the good work done by a Christian Science Organization (CSO) tends to disturb mistaken beliefs and practices. As a member of a CSO, it is therefore essential to know oneself as God’s spiritual reflection and to defend oneself by knowing the spiritual truths that show that we are always sheltered under God’s wing, kept safe from danger or opposition to Truth.
Our CSO wanted to host a Christian Science lecture, and I needed to stop by the office of the executive director of the university to inquire about the response to our letter regarding the use of a space on campus. The staff members I met in the office asked me a lot of questions about Christian Science. I replied with caution. Finally, they said that my request would not go through because, in their view, Christian Science belongs to the occult. At that moment, I prayed. I knew that this viewpoint was not accurate, and I acknowledged that nothing can stand against the power of Christ, of Truth, in action.
I also had to learn about being patient and expecting good, because after I provided the director with the necessary paperwork, the staff member in charge of the case went on vacation and left the file in his drawer. During this time, I was tempted to force the issue by trying to meet with the executive director himself, but I overcame that temptation when I better understood what patience is. Each time I was tempted, I thought of the following passage from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, and it removed any anxiety: “The powers of this world will fight, and will command their sentinels not to let truth pass the guard until it subscribes to their systems; but Science, heeding not the pointed bayonet, marches on” (p. 225).
The staff member came back from vacation a few weeks later. Contrary to what his colleagues had told me, he assured me that he would send the file to the director without further delay. He said we should obtain the authorization within two months. We were able to have a space and hold our first Christian Science lecture on campus.
The second year, we had a similar experience with hosting lectures. We wrote to the administration of our school to obtain the necessary authorization, but there was no response; so we decided to send a follow-up letter, but there was still no response. We prayed, but as we were getting closer to the date of the first lecture, we were wondering whether we were going to be able to host any of the lectures we had planned.
I had to learn about patience and expecting good.
We let the lecturer know about the situation. He told us not to be impressed with what the administration of the school would say, but to know that nothing can stop or impede the unfoldment of God’s activity. Every member of the CSO was encouraged to read this verse from Psalms: “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (37:5), and this sentence from Science and Health: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494). These ideas helped us defuse the fears, and we put the situation in God’s hands, who was in control.
A few days before the lecture, we were asked to present legal documentation about the Church of Christ, Scientist, which we did without delay, and so we were granted permission to host the lectures with a simple signature from the director. It was a great joy to share Christian Science with the large number of students who attended the lectures.
Each one of us had to understand that we must stop focusing on the problem, but solve it by relying on God as divine Love, who answers every human need, and is “a very present help in trouble” (Psalms 46:1).
For this experience, I say thank you to our Father-Mother God, to our Master, Christ Jesus, to Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science who gave us this teaching, and to the Christian Science practitioners who support us every time we ask.
