Articles

Recently I received a summons for jury duty. On previous occasions I had fulfilled my civic obligation by calling in and then being relieved of any further responsibility.

To human perception, there are giants—it might be a giant of illness, age, depression, lack, concern about the future, spiritual despair, inharmony in church. We each face giants, but how one thinks about them helps put their looming size into perspective.

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Find out what it means to me!” Those words are from a rousing song that was a titan on the pop charts in the 1960s. Aretha Franklin belted it out in a soul-deep delivery that many think remains unmatched.

A number of years ago a friend, someone I considered to be a spiritual light and inspiration, lost his faith. He’s still the wonderful, wry individual he has always been.

In many countries Christian Scientists, with the support of their branch church, are participating in local multifaith or interfaith groups. Thus they’re sharing their faith with other Christians and with those of other than Christian religions, as a way of letting their light shine and as a way of being neighborly.

There’s a reason why every human heart yearns for individual sovereignty and freedom—and why this yearning cannot be repressed successfully by human will or any circumstance. It’s because dominion is everyone’s permanent, God-given birthright.

I remember one of the first times I had to speak publicly about Christian Science. I spoke before a group of medical nurses at a Chicago hospital.

Just after I left high school, my understanding of Christian Science was rather sketchy. A childhood spent in rural parts of Africa, followed by years at boarding school in England, had allowed me to attend Sunday School on only a handful of occasions.

I had been reading the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy for a couple of years before I discovered there was a church connected to it. I had experienced many healings through reading the book, so I felt very happy to find the church.

I was raised in Christian Science, and had many healings as a kid. There was little doubt in my mind that I would join The Mother Church at some point.