When my father arrived at one of his first jobs in Rio de Janeiro, he found a copy of The Herald of Christian Science hidden at the bottom of an old drawer in his work desk. From then on, he began studying Christian Science and taking my siblings and me downtown to a Church of Christ, Scientist, on Sundays. I was nine years old at the time of my first Sunday School class, but as I look back on the experience now, I think of what a wonderful find my father had made.
Several years ago, when news about the pandemic broke out, I was working as an administrative agent at a very large federal hospital in Rio. Because of its location serving many favelas, our hospital became a focal point for the treatment of Covid-19. I was in administration dealing with paperwork, and I had no mask, face shield, or gloves, which were in short supply and were reserved for medical professionals treating patients.
I was afraid, so I opened my Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, to page 66, where Mrs. Eddy says, “Trials teach mortals not to lean on a material staff,—a broken reed, which pierces the heart.” Rather than relying on things that might be considered “a broken reed,” I realized I could rely on God, and I felt the fear recede. Near the end of my 24-hour shift of helping many Covid patients to their appointments, however, I began to have a very high fever. It was so high that I became unconscious.
