Articles

At this juncture in history, the world certainly needs effective healers to help mankind progress toward spiritual freedom. If you knew that by your own spiritual growth a life could be saved; that a child could be healed of emotional or physical scars; that an individual suffering the depths of depression could be lifted into a joyful and productive life; that a criminal could be reformed—would it be worth it to you to achieve that spiritual growth? Would it be worth it to you to become more settled and systematic in your spiritual efforts? Reading this, are you surprised? Do you respond, "Who, me? Heal those situations?" If it is God, Principle, who heals, and not the human mind, then why couldn't you—being disciplined, ordered, and imbued with divine Truth and Love—learn to bear faithful witness to God's law of love in thought and deed? And why couldn't you actually see the effect upon those dear receptive ones who turn hopefully to this divine law? God, divine Principle, rules His universe, including His idea, man, through the absolute, invariable law of harmony.

When David offered to fight the dreaded giant of the Philistines, he showed not a trace of hesitancy, doubt, or fear, although some demeaned him and scoffed at him. See I Sam.

Sometimes people feel discouraged and wonder why they aren't seeing more signs of progress in their lives or even in their church. One may ask, "What more can I do, or what am I doing wrong?" But perhaps there are other questions we should be asking.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:5 Gethsemane.

Do you find the news depressing at times? If we take some of the reports at face value, it may appear that widespread disregard of law, order, and morality threatens the very existence of our civilization. Recently, when I realized that my own peace of mind was greatly disturbed by these things, I asked myself, What can I do to prevent the destruction of all that I hold dear? I felt quite helpless.

I used to wonder why I had to struggle long and hard with some difficulties, while others would yield right away. Why didn't my faith in God and in the efficacy of spiritual healing rout one error just as well as another? If you've ever done this kind of wondering, you may be interested in the result of my being led to combine ideas from three passages I had long been familiar with.

How easy it is sometimes to fall into the trap of condemnation! It's true, as we look at the world about us, there seems much to condemn or to wring our hands over. Whether it's the attitudes and acts of foreign nations, of national and local figures, or of our neighbors and families, we all see things that miss the mark.

One Wednesday evening, while I was serving as First Reader in a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, there was a severe thunderstorm. I had just finished the last sentence of the readings from Science and Health by Mrs.

Several of us used to come together each week to hold a Christian Science service in a mental institution. The first week I joined the group I wasn't sure what to expect.

So your church doesn't have a Christian Science practitioner? I don't believe it! Why, it has you, doesn't it? Ah, you say you're not a practitioner. I wouldn't be so quick to accept that and neither should you.