A leading point of Christian Science—something that fills people’s great hunger to understand what really matters and what truly is substantial in life—is that God, divine Spirit, is actually the only presence and power there is. Even a slight glimpse of this deep truth thoroughly feeds this yearning, paving the way for more and more growth and understanding. While it’s divine Spirit that is the “big picture,” so to speak, some might casually attribute the overall attraction to Christian Science simply to the healing of physical disease. Such an assessment, though, isn’t totally accurate.
Certainly, physical healing draws one’s attention to God. For the people they helped and healed, both Jesus and Mary Baker Eddy found this was often the case. Mrs. Eddy observes in Science and Heath with Key to the Scriptures: “Jesus established his church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing” (p. 136). Yet, neither in Jesus’ day—nor today—does physical healing always hold a person’s interest long-term.
When Jesus healed the ten men who were suffering from leprosy, only one thanked him (see Luke 17:11–19). Instead of questioning Jesus at length about how in the world he healed, those other nine—who had undoubtedly just had the greatest experience of their lives—turned and went on their way. To the question, “Is healing the sick the whole of Science?” Mrs. Eddy responded: “Healing physical sickness is the smallest part of Christian Science. It is only the bugle-call to thought and action, in the higher range of infinite goodness” (Rudimental Divine Science, p. 2).
