Sharing the healing power of Christian Science with enthusiasm

I recently heard a man say in a Christian Science organization testimony meeting, “If you are afraid or unsure of sharing the healing power of Christian Science, just know that, for me, my life was a lot harder before I learned about Christian Science.” I certainly echo this sentiment in regard to my own life, having spent many years wandering in the wilderness of human beliefs searching for answers and divine inspiration. I turned to anything and everything to find the deep sense of peace and love I was yearning for. I was searching for healing in many aspects of my life.

Then I was gently led by a friend to consider the healing truths presented in the Bible. This eventually led me back to the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, the pioneering thinker who discovered Christian Science. This Science is based on the teachings and healing works of Christ Jesus, and my family had relied on it for generations, but I had discarded it until that point.

Since then, I have had countless powerful healings through the study and application of this Science, including of depression, intense headaches, broken bones, and more. I have often shared Mrs. Eddy’s primary text, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, because I have been healed by reading and studying the truths within it, including the truth that I am God’s dearly beloved child—created whole and complete in His, Her, image and likeness. Why not share the book that has brought such transformation and healing? 

I recently had the opportunity to share Science and Health a couple of times while traveling. It is easier to share Christian Science when you are simply living it, loving it, and recognizing that there are people seeking healing everywhere. This was the case when I was leading a group of Christian Scientists on a college study abroad trip to New Zealand. Some of the best parts of the trip were the many proofs of God’s care and protection for our group, and the various opportunities to share Christian Science with others. 

On our trip we emphasized the idea of being a blessing wherever we went; as Science and Health states, “… whatever blesses one blesses all …” (p. 206). We began with a cultural immersion program with a Maori tribe, the native people of New Zealand, on the North Island. Prior to the abroad, I had met our host and had long conversations about Christian Science while traveling to his tribe’s marae, a Maori community center. He mentioned that the people in his community were very much in need of healing because of the many social, economic, and health-related challenges they faced. Given his keen interest in learning more about Christian Science healing, I shared Science and Health with him. I directed him to the last chapter of the book, “Fruitage,” because it is full of testimonies of healing from simply reading the book. We kept in touch, and I was able to answer his questions. He was especially interested in the first chapter, “Prayer.”

Nothing could dampen the students’ spirits as we hiked—not rain, hail, nor powerful gusts of wind.

By the time the students met our host months later, he had read a few chapters of Science and Health, and each time he introduced our group to other community members, he would mention that we were a group of Christian Scientists. He would share that there was once a wonderful woman who founded our religion, and that the healing we practice was based on the understanding of Truth, Life, and Love. We held our own church services on the marae, and members of the community joined us. As they read along with the Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly, they showed signs of approval, and made comments such as, “Wow, that’s powerful!” One of the community members mentioned how much he appreciated the inspired nature of Mrs. Eddy’s spiritual interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer (see Science and Health, pp. 16–17). 

Also on my preparatory trip, I had met with a woman whose Maori family would eventually host us on the South Island. She was a devout Christian and an earnest seeker, and we ended up talking about life, spirituality, family, and prayer. We both shared what types of prayers helped us during tough times, and I shared with her some of the healings that I had experienced. When I returned with the students, I felt led to share my copy of Science and Health with her on our last day on the marae. She graciously accepted the book and said she was looking forward to reading it.

On the last day of our six-day camping trip, I hiked alongside one of our trek guides, who had become a good friend. She and the other guide had participated in our evening gratitude sessions during the trek. They had witnessed the students and me really living Christian Science each day of our rigorous mountain trek, and heard us pour out gratitude for God and for our team for supporting each other through numerous challenges ranging from fear of heights to muscle strain to breathing difficulties and broken toes. The other guide commented that it seemed nothing could dampen the students’ spirits as we hiked—not rain, hail, nor powerful gusts of wind. 

During the few hours we hiked together, my friend asked me many questions about Christian Science and healing. Since she had participated in our gratitude sessions, I felt led to explain how gratitude—praising and acknowledging God’s goodness—plays a big role in healing. I shared with her that when I was a child and I wasn’t feeling well, I would often ask my grandmother for prayerful support. In addition to sharing truths about my perfect, whole, and complete being as God’s child, my grandmother would tell me to sit down and write a list of 100 things I was grateful for. Giving gratitude lifts our thought to a greater recognition of all of the God-given good in our lives. This contributes to moving thought above discord, illness, or inharmony and brings a sense of joy and peace, helping us feel the presence of divine Love that heals. 

Love’s healing power truly is available to all, so why wouldn’t you want to share this sweet blessing? 

Well, my friend applied this concept the very next day with her daughter during a Skype call. Her daughter was upset and crying, and my friend suggested they share gratitude, like the students on our trip. After a few minutes of sharing gratitude together, her daughter was in good spirits and filled with joy and laughter again. My friend shared this with our group, and the students and I were overjoyed at the news!

We ended our trip where we started. Back on the North Island, the community had been following our journey through social media, and they said that they too had been praying for us the entire time. They were grateful to find the fruits of their prayers realized, as we were so protected at every point on our trip. They had noticed that whenever there was bad weather, we missed the worst of the storms. In one case, a cyclone held off for a day and allowed for the smoothest boat crossing that many had ever encountered on the ship. 

These experiences made me realize that people all over the world are seeking a deeper sense of peace and security, a more consistent experience of health and wholeness, and a sense of love that is ever-embracing. I am so grateful for these experiences of sharing Christian Science, because they’ve helped me deepen my understanding of God’s love for all His children. Love’s healing power truly is available to all, so why wouldn’t you want to share this sweet blessing?