Articles

The early Christians were healers. They were the go-to individuals for health care for many who witnessed or heard about cures of disease, injury, even death.

Mary Baker Eddy , the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes, “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” ( Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 494 ).

Recent news reports and articles about the sexism that’s still encountered by women in some situations remind me of discriminatory practices that I learned to overcome through relying on prayer and the teachings of Christian Science.   My technical career began at a time when there were few women working in technical fields.

I teach Sunday School , and I’ve been observing and appreciating the charm (one meaning of that word is the power or quality of giving delight) that our Sunday School students express. There was the cartwheel after Sunday School ended; the second grader singing the hymns at the top of his lungs (and in tune!); the high schooler’s recounting of the touchdown pass he caught.

Spiritual reasoning and heartfelt outreach to God are natural to us as spiritual thinkers. 

“Are you kidding me? You want me to do what?! How stupid!” Yep, that was teenage me, bristling internally every time my mom told me what to do. Thoughts like these would then lead to harsh conversations where I said things to my mom I later realized I didn’t mean.

Recently I had the opportunity to talk with a group of Christian Scientists who were about to graduate from college. During our conversation one of the questions asked was, “What helped you stay committed to Christian Science?” I found myself sharing that the one thing that had been a great support in keeping me connected to Science was my commitment to attending Wednesday evening testimony meetings.

I yearned for answers. I had been earnestly praying for weeks and months—much of the time with the loving, tender, and inspired help of a Christian Science practitioner.

A few years ago I was staying with friends in the hills above Pietermaritzburg in South Africa. A number of wildfires were alight in the area because of very dry weather conditions.

I have taught Christian Science Sunday School for many years and continue to learn from being there. Presently I teach first- and second-graders, and whenever a healing appears in the weekly Bible Lesson, I ask them, “What did Christ Jesus say to the person healed?”  Understanding man as God’s very image and likeness, Jesus was able to dismiss disease as an illusion.