Several years ago, I served as the librarian for our Christian Science branch church’s Reading Room, which was located in the downtown area. One day I was sitting behind the desk when a man walked in. His hair stood on end, and his eyes were glassy. He hit the top of the desk very forcibly with his hands and declared, “I am Jesus Christ!”
As I looked up at him, the words that came to me to say were, “Do you know what I see? I see a child of God.” I knew I was surrounded by God’s love and, as a result, felt absolutely no fear. The man suddenly looked over at the wall, where a little plaque hung on which was written a quote from the Bible: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10). He repeated that phrase aloud, and then immediately his demeanor changed and he was calm. We were able to carry on a conversation about God and God’s love for him and for everybody. The man left peacefully and in his right mind, reminding me of the time Jesus healed the man with an “unclean spirit”(see Mark 5:1–15).
At that time, the Reading Room was open six days a week, and, since I was the librarian, I was there every day. For about a year after our initial encounter, this man visited the Reading Room most days and became my friend. He was always calm and collected, and, while he never acknowledged the change in his demeanor and behavior, it was wonderful to know that his spiritual identity was intact and untouched.
