"Just a coincidence." In many areas of activity coincidence means little but a random concurrence of events without significance. The best efforts of philosopher-scientists have hardly got coincidence inside the fringes of parascience. But in the healing practice of Christian Science coincidence has central importance. A clear understanding of this spiritually scientific coincidence is highly practical; it contributes powerfully to restoring physical health and to resolving other human difficulties.
Christian Scientists are familiar with the experience of answered prayer. They set no limits to it. A character renewed, a damaged relationship mended, a diseased organ made whole, an injustice corrected, a spiritual awakening effected—all these can happen in response to prayer. Christian Scientists have seen them happen. Sometimes the answer to prayer differs from what was expected; but it is an answer and a good one.
The immediate disciples of Christ Jesus can have had little difficulty in seeing a causal connection between prayer and its answer. They often saw Jesus pray, and they were used to seeing his prayers answered; in fact, his not doing many mighty works in one city occasioned the gospel writer's comment. For a similar reason those around Mrs. Eddy found no difficulty in recognizing a causal connection between prayer and its answer. And so with Christian Scientists in general. Answered prayer is what they naturally expect from their experience and from their observation of reality.
