A Widely Held View of spiritual healing is that it can do much to heal the inner spirit of a patient—that it can resolve long-standing mental struggles, bring transformation of character, restore relationships, and give peace of mind—but that, while it may ease the patient's physical struggle, it cannot normally be expected to cure him. Many who hold this view acknowledge that a "miracle" is not totally out of the question. Yet, for a patient who has been judged "terminally ill," the purpose of spiritual activity is often seen as not intended to help the patient conquer the disease, but to help him face death— to help him tie up the loose ends of his life before he dies, so that he will be prepared to "go home" to God.
This raises important questions: Are there limits to God's healing power? Should spiritual healing be expected to include physical cure only in random instances? The answer to both questions is "no." In Christian Science, healing and cure are synonymous terms. Let me explain.
Many individuals have come into Christian Science after being healed (cured) of diseases from which they had been told there was no hope of survival. They have gone on to live long, healthy, productive lives. Indeed, they have experienced spiritual transformation, the resolution of mental struggles, relationships healed, and increased peace of mind. And along with this they have also experienced proof—not just once, but over and over again—that disease has no power to resist the all-power of God. Proof that when divine power heals the human mind, it also heals the body; that God's law of healing is uniform, not random.
