Never has there been a greater need to find a solution to the tragic conditions facing large numbers of people. And there has never been more goodwill, more desire to come to grips with these problems and to provide means to feed the hungry, cure the sick, alleviate poverty, and bring the opportunity for education to those deprived of such advantages. The lack of success in solving many problems lies not in the motive animating people but in the methods that are being used. Dedicated people trained in the social services and experts in the fields of medicine and education work tirelessly for the betterment of mankind. And while progress is being made in some areas of distress, the human services that are offered mankind bring temporary help at best.
What service can the Christian Science healer offer mankind? He has the Christ, the true idea of sonship with God. Within the Christ is the solution for every form of trouble. In Christian Science, the Christ takes on new meaning and great power. It is explained thus by Mrs. Eddy: "Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness." Science and Health, p. 332; This Christly message is not a material voice but a spiritual impartation, bringing a new view of God, of man, and of salvation. This new view encourages the seeker to realize that salvation is not a futurity, but can be sought and found in the Christly understanding of the continuing presence of all-good God, imparting to His creation wholeness, fearlessness, happiness, and unlimited well-being. Freedom from fear and limitation brings unbounded good into individual experience.
What does this mean to the hungry, the sick, the poor, the disadvantaged? It means that the Christian Science healer, or practitioner, serves by responding to each call of distress with ready compassion and kindness, helping the afflicted one gain the assurance that divine Love meets his needs in a very practical way. The service that Christian Science offers mankind is not confined to the healing of disease or sin. The Christ comes to each individual, no matter where he may find himself, no matter what the circumstance, and opens the way of deliverance.
