“The wonderful thing about 'Science and Health' is the 'newness' each time you read it.”

When I was living in Boulder, Colorado (the new age capital of the world!), I came across many "healers."  I noticed right away that their human egos were taking credit for the healings.  This was in complete contrast to my grandmother, who was a Christian Science practitioner—void of the human ego; expressing warmth, unconditional love, and kindness…. So I started to go to the Christian Science Wednesday and Sunday services. One Sunday after church, I was at the local bagel cafe and a gentleman sat down at my table.  We got to talking and he told me that his mother was a Christian Science practitioner and his father was a pilot.  I thought this must be a "sign" because my grandmother was a practitioner and my grandfather was a pilot—he flew bi-planes and trained pilots during the war. (At that time, I was not only seeking a spiritual path but also looking for signs!)  This gentleman grew up in Christian Science but was attending Unity Church.  He had extra copies of Science and Health, by Mrs. Eddy, marble edition, so he gave me one—It was my first copy!  He didn't tell me how to read it and I didn’t start at the beginning or the chapter on Prayer.  I would open Science and Health at random and read specific sections or sentences.  I distinctly remember one time while randomly reading coming across many special sentences, I can't tell you today which ones stood out but there were many.

The assignment for our Association to read the chapter on Creation reminded me of how I first began reading Science and Health. This chapter for me has many, many of those special sentences. “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand:” (Ps. 139:17-18)  Creation was certainly a comforting chapter to read after my mother's passing and I read it on the crowded plane en route home. I have since listened to this chapter on audio and I have read this chapter in the Science and Health French edition. I studied French in High School, I'm certainly not fluent, but thankfully Mrs. Eddy required the English translation as well.  What I found by reading the French version is the French word for " body" is "mort". This has been extremely helpful in regards to the nothingness of matter and that my mother wasn’t her body.

The following special sentences have always stood out for me:

SH 264:24 “Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences, by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.”
I not only want to feel that "unspeakable peace and spiritual love” at all times but I want others to feel that unspeakable peace and I want to express that peace when I'm around others.

266:6 “Would existence without personal friends be to you a blank?…. But this seeming vacuum is already filled with divine Love…"
I've been learning that the so-called vacuum, since my mother's passing, is and always has been filled with divine Love!

The wonderful thing about Science and Health is the "newness” each time you read it. For the past couple of years, I have been focusing on the healing part of Christian Science.  Since my mother's passing I am now focusing on my immortal selfhood— that "Life is eternal.  We should find that out and begin the demonstration thereof.” (SH 246:27-28)  These are just a few of the ideas that stick out for me today:

• “Progress takes off human shackles.”  256:1
• “Man is more than a material form with a mind inside, which must escape from its environments in order to be immortal. Man reflects infinity.” 258:9
• “Love, the divine Principle, is the Father and Mother of the universe, including man.” 256:7