The Bible abounds with accounts of the triumph of Spirit over matter—accounts so wonderful that they may seem unbelievable. Indeed, how can we fully grasp the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were thrown into a fiery furnace without being consumed by the fire? And what’s to be said of Daniel, who was thrown into a den of lions and pulled out the next day without a single scratch?
Christian Science explains that occurrences like these, which contradict the apparent laws of matter, are not miracles that belong to a bygone era, but demonstrations of the higher law of Spirit, God, which is always in operation. They are tangible proofs of the allness of God and His redeeming power.
The Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “The divine Love, which made harmless the poisonous viper, which delivered men from the boiling oil, from the fiery furnace, from the jaws of the lion, can heal the sick in every age and triumph over sin and death” (p. 243). She goes on to say that this Love was at the heart of Christ Jesus’ healing works, and that to repeat these wonders, we must have “the same ‘Mind … which was also in Christ Jesus’ ”—a knowledge of the divine Science underlying the healings.
Mrs. Eddy defines Christian Science as “the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the divine Principle and rule of universal harmony” (Rudimental Divine Science, p. 1). Her writings show how gaining a clear understanding of this law enables us to heal in the manner Jesus taught.
Three years ago I had an opportunity to prove for myself the healing power of divine Love when I was badly burned in a fire. I was cleaning and maintaining toilets, pouring in chemicals to disinfect them, when there was an explosion and my clothes caught fire. I suffered burns on my face, head, chest, and right arm.
The noise of the explosion attracted not only my family but also crowds of people who came from the outskirts of town to see what had happened. Noting the extent of the damage done by the fire, they were all very concerned about me. I realized I didn’t have a moment to lose and must pray immediately.
I went to my room and began affirming my real spiritual identity as a child of God. I strove to become conscious of myself as a spiritual idea of God, ever perfect and intact, completely untouched by matter.
It was very helpful to think about the answer to the question “What is man?” on page 475 of Science and Health, which begins: “Man is not matter; he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements. The Scriptures inform us that man is made in the image and likeness of God.”
I reasoned that in the Bible account, the fiery furnace did not have any detrimental effect on the three Hebrew captives because they were obedient to infinite Love, God, and they knew that evil could not harm them. I saw that I, too, could reject what the material senses were saying about my body being injured by fire, and instead be conscious of God’s all-power.
That dispelled my fear, so I was able to turn completely to God, in whom “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Realizing that God is All-in-all, I had the assurance that nothing could harm me because, as God’s spiritual idea, I abide always under the wing of the Almighty.
While I pondered these spiritual truths, the crowd that had come running grew tired of waiting to see what state I was in. They demanded that I be driven to a hospital. My family, too, was worried about me, though they knew I had stopped taking medication many years before when I began to rely on Christian Science for healing. To ease everyone’s concerns, I finally agreed to go to the hospital.
The medical staff on duty that day took me to the operating room to clean and bandage the damaged skin, and I heard them say I had second- and third-degree burns. This in no way impressed me when I recalled that the fiery furnace in the Bible story was heated seven times more than usual, yet it had not been able to overrule the order established by the Almighty.
Later, when I got up from my hospital bed to use the bathroom, I came face to face with a mirror hanging on the wall, which reflected a completely deformed image of me. I immediately denied this picture as false, because I knew nothing about it represented what I am as the image and likeness of God.
The nurses wanted to inject me with a medication to prevent infection, but I refused this treatment. Instead, I asked for prayerful help from a Christian Science practitioner. When I decided to leave the hospital and asked the person in charge to draw up my exit papers, he expressed concern about the risk of infection. But I knew that in God’s universe there is neither infection nor sickness nor anything to dread.
Before leaving the hospital, I once again entered the bathroom, where my reflection in the mirror showed that my skin had become very black (I usually have a light complexion). I had been earnestly praying to see that an idea of God remains perfect and unchanged, so I rejected this unfamiliar image as a lie and affirmed that the fire could have no effect on my real being.
I returned to work as usual, where I met a woman who asked if it was really I who was before her. I answered yes. She asked, “Will you get your usual complexion back?” And I replied in the affirmative, knowing that the image of God is indestructible. I saw nothing that could prevent my real complexion from appearing.
Several days later, my skin had improved so much that this woman had no trouble recognizing me. Thanks to prayers based on the truths contained in the Bible and Mrs. Eddy’s writings, the complete healing of the burns took a total of three weeks, with no remaining scars or discoloration.
Alphonse Touadikissa
Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
