Articles

“A soft answer turneth away wrath,” says the Bible ( Proverbs 15:1 ). In other words, meekness is more sensible than a contest of wills.

This article is part of a series appearing periodically in the Journal , the Christian Science Sentinel , and The Herald of Christian Science . Each article aims to correct some misconception about Christian Science that would keep us from having the results we so desire as spiritual healers.

I used to find thoughts about church coming to me such as, “Do you really want to go? Have you figured out how far you have to drive, what it costs, and how long you’ll be on the road?” These thoughts needed to be checked and corrected.   Several ideas from a recent Journal article inspired me as I thought about this topic.

Has anyone you love passed on? You are not alone. It happens to all of us.

My wife and I moved to Texas in 1996, and sold our townhouse in Northern Virginia that had been our home for over two decades. Several years passed, and our reason for being in Texas came to an end.

When I was appointed chair of my branch church’s lecture committee, I felt a bit daunted. I had never been involved with planning a Christian Science lecture before.

One day while I was working in the Reading Room of my local Christian Science church, a gentleman whom I hadn’t seen before came in the door. He began asking questions about Christian Science.

The history of the Israelites in the Bible shows that even in the midst of tyranny and persecution, they trusted the scriptural prophecies that promised the Messiah would come establishing freedom and peace. Many sought to diligently follow the laws of Moses, which were meant to help them be obedient and worthy to receive the Messiah.

A backhoe operator dug a deep hole in the lawn with such careful attention that his coworker yelled with delight, “You’re a sculptor!” That might seem like an odd way to describe someone operating heavy machinery, but his coworker was commenting on the preciseness of his work in shaping this deep hole. We may not be sculptors by trade, but we all can work with similar precision in shaping our thoughts.

What a joy to be free of feeling burdened—that beautiful release from feeling weighed down. It’s a moment of light and grace that changes everything.