One of the most encouraging aspects of Christian Science healing is that evil in whatever form it appears is always no more than a lie. Whether we're troubled by personal difficulties or disturbed by the complex issues that touch all mankind, the way these challenges are approached is basically the same. Evil is never of God, good. It has no creator, substance, or presence in the true universe of God's originating. Any appearance of discord is always a lie about God's perfect creation—the only creation there is. And belief in a lie can be overcome when it is confronted with truth.
To begin the process of divine healing, however, we must be willing to accept that evil is a lie—that there is no essential reality about it. In the textbook, Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy makes this powerful statement: "If we concede the same reality to discord as to harmony, discord has as lasting a claim upon us as has harmony." Science and Health, p. 186. And she also states, "Sin, sickness, and death must be deemed as devoid of reality as they are of good, God." Ibid., p. 525.
Christian Science recognizes that evil does seem very real. Indeed to the physical senses it is real. We see the tragic consequences of sin, sickness, and death all around us. But as we grow in our understanding of evil's deceptive nature, we are not so overwhelmed. We gain the courage and willingness to confront its claims of power and control.
