A Christian Scientist went to see a sick neighbor. The medical verdict was that she couldn't live for more than a very few weeks. After a little general conversation, the Scientist said, "Would you like to try Christian Science?" She was startled at the vehement reply, "No, I'd rather die first!"
These two people had not really communicated. The invalid rejected what she imagined Christian Science to be—and that was far removed from what the Christian Scientist was offering her. The Scientist's heart was in the right place, but she had not cultivated that deeper perception we all need if we are to share our understanding of Christian Science successfully with people unfamiliar with it, particularly those in distress.
It is not always an easy matter. It is reasonable to suppose that the only information an invalid may have about Christian Science may be misinformation—a hotchpotch of other people's ignorance and prejudice, colored perhaps by ill-informed attacks on Mrs. Eddy made long ago but accepted by many writers, even today, as valid comment upon her and her discovery.
