Q: If a friend were going into the hospital for medical treatment and posted a request for prayer on Facebook, how would you—a Christian Scientist—respond?
A: I hope, as a Christian Scientist: with unconditional love and prayer that affirms God’s presence and power.
The questioner may be concerned about the ethics of giving Christian Science treatment (essentially, taking someone on as a patient) unsolicited. Mary Baker Eddy makes clear that “… Christian Scientists will not receive a patient who is under the care of a regular physician, until he has done with the case and different aid is sought” (Retrospection and Introspection, pp. 87–88). But this does not mean we should scroll down to the next Facebook post without giving attention to what’s been presented to our thought.
