When the divinely scientific teaching of Christian Science came into my life, it explained "a new heaven and a new earth," as envisioned by St. John (Rev. 21:1). My first steps were sustained by constantly turning to the many Bible admonitions to "fear not." In II Timothy we are reminded (1:7), "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Courage and confidence began to replace timidity and uncertainty. Existence took on new meaning. In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says (p. 60), "Science inevitably lifts one's being higher in the scale of harmony and happiness." While the physical healing aspect of Christian Science remained obscure, I decided that I wanted this way of life, even if there were no physical healings.
My first year of study brought freedom from colds, headaches, constipation, bronchitis, and periodic suffering. Still, I puzzled over the unreality of evil, which was basic to the teaching of this Science. Then, one day while I was walking home from the office where I worked, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of despondency. I reached my room, dropped down on the bed, and lay still. Then I recalled these words (Hab. 1:13): "Thou [God] art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." I thought, how wonderful to be above all strife—to be untouched by it!
With my intense reaching out, a longing for this spiritualized consciousness, came an awareness of God's presence more real than my physical surroundings. I saw that evil cannot exist in His presence and, further, that it had never existed in Him or His idea, man. Evil is unreal because God is All-in-all. Throughout the day I cherished this vision of God's supreme goodness. The despondency left, and there remained only a wonderful conviction that I had found the truth of God and man.
