AFTER WORLD WAR II, I returned to my boyhood home. There had been a death in the family that drastically changed the atmosphere of the home. In prior years there had been a genuine appreciation for Christian Science and its teachings. But now, the remaining member of the family had abandoned Christian Science, and the atmosphere had become worldly and discordant. No longer was there a sense of harmony. The joy of studying the weekly Bible Lesson, Found in the Christian Science Quarterly. going to church together, and the interchange of what we were learning from this religious teaching were no longer present. The home lacked a true and genuine sense of comradeship. All of this had been very precious to me.
It was very difficult to live in such an environment. So I decided to move to a locale where I could get a job and also devote much of my time to the consecrated study of Christian Science. I did this, and soon, through my study, I awakened to a far more meaningful sense of my sonship with God. I came to understand that my true, Godlike identity, made in God's image and likeness, included such qualities of God as spiritual well-being, happiness, and fulfillment.
This may not seem like a really serious difficulty to many people, but at the time it was to me. From the trauma of combat flying in the war—having been shot down behind enemy lines and successfully escaping on one mission, and on another having two engines on the same side shot out over Berlin and then landing safely in England (which brought me the reward of a Distinguished Flying Cross)—I was really mentally fatigued. Then, to return home and find it in such turmoil seemed an overwhelming challenge.
