“Stick to the Truth of being…”

I received a call from an individual, a Christian Scientist, who was in Africa on a business assignment. He explained that he had infrequent use of a phone because of his very remote location, and very briefly, before the call broke up asked for treatment for what he believed, and those around him considered, to be a very severe case of malaria.

The fear in his voice was palpable, and before allowing that sense of fear which I realized came from the false reporting of the false material senses from attaching itself to my thinking, I immediately declared that there was no fear in divine Love, which was my dwelling place as well as that of this dear patient!

I found our Leader’s directive that my part in this healing was to “Stick to the truth of being in contradistinction to the error that life, substance, or intelligence can be in matter. [And that I must] Plead with an honest conviction of truth and a clear perception of the unchanging, unerring, and certain effects of divine Science. Then, if your fidelity is half equal to the truth of your plea, you will heal the sick.” So, I went on pleading truths as I had been taught in Class Instruction.

Another important lesson from this experience, particularly since further communication from the patient seemed sketchy at best, and one for which I often need to be reminded, is that a practitioner, feeling the work has been faithfully done, can put a period, a full stop to his prayers. If the ground has been thoroughly handled and then doubt sets in, one may give his treatment a treatment and know, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it.” (Isa 55:15). This lifted a sense of personal responsibility off my shoulders, for I knew that it was not my personal words that were a factor, but the voicing of His eternal truths that accomplishes His divine purpose for His man, to glorify Him. This is the working of the Christ in human consciousness that can be heard in earth’s most remote borders! And it is this truth that makes man free!

When I heard nothing back for several weeks, I knew that I needed to handle doubt and fear. The passage from Science and Health (page 495:14) came immediately to my rescue. I found its admonition very reassuring, particularly, “Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious—as Life eternally is—can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in that which Life is not.” I paid particular attention to the capitalization in this sentence and appreciated the inescapable fact that the coincidence of God as cause and of man as effect was plainly made in this passage – “life harmonious, as Life eternally is.” – what is true about God is inevitably true about His reflection, man.

After three weeks had passed, I received a telegram with these five words, “All is well. Thank you.” I will always be humbly grateful for the many lessons this case taught me.