“These were not sunny-day-only Christian Scientists”

This book is not new to me, but I have read it in spurts before and even that was some time ago. Reading it straight through and then reading it a second time really did have an impact on my thought about healing. The variety of circumstances under which healing happened, and the insignificance of the obstacles to it happening, gave me encouragement.

The Covid-19 situation we are facing has been referred to as war, and putting down the bombardment of news about it daily, does seem like we are in the midst of a battle. So, I found the WWI and WWII experiences of special interest. These were not sunny-day-only Christian Scientists, but rather these testifiers were holding to Truth under bleak conditions and while bombs dropped around them and even while imprisoned. I visualized the soldier who took his books to the frontline to study when he could (p.74) and was impressed by the soldier who got clear insight that he had “no material body to protect for man’s life is spiritual” (p.75) while standing knee-deep in mud and being heavily shelled.

The testimony from a German soldier during World War I (p.74) was a reminder there is one Mind and its ideas. The soldier states, “During these years of war, thanks to my efforts constantly to think right and to reveal a demonstrable knowledge of Truth, I was never in a position where I was obliged to harm my fellow man.”

A WWII soldier read to his foxhole buddy (whoever it happened to be) during the day and prayed at night – not selfishly, he wrote, but “for freedom from this world of materiality for all of us.” (p.122) Interesting testimony of two Japanese people during WWII, one in Japan headed off to the Army and one in the United States also more than likely facing the internment that happened in our country. The Japanese soldier spoke about having a false sense of nationalism. (p.129) He tells of what the Japanese friend in America said that gave him a healing thought: She said: “I do not have to think American thoughts. I do not have to think Japanese thoughts. I have only to think God’s thoughts.” The soldier realized while he was thinking of himself as Japanese, he wasn’t thinking of himself as God’s child. I thought how this is a helpful thought in combatting the partisan and divisive political thinking going on in our country right now.

The intro to the section on World War II experiences had an important message for now. “The call to help in the world’s thinking is no longer something that can pass unheeded, it is an imperative duty. Things we did not like to look at nor think of, problems we did not feel able to cope with, must now be faced manfully, and correct thinking concerning the world’s doings cultivated and maintained.” (p.120)

The healings that seemed to take a longer time were so transformative.

Peter Henniker-Heaton’s inspirational demonstration (p.156) made over ten plus years that climaxed in a complete victory over the crippling lie of paralysis is humbling and one I have often reminded myself of. He speaks of great spiritual joy filling him, and this happening while war waged outside the apartment he was confined to. His poetry evidences the peace he found in God. He states, “…and with the joy came an ever keener sense of spiritual innocence, a perception that man, being the individual expression of divine Mind, could never have entertained at any moment any incorrect thinking which could have caused or could justify suffering. The recognition of good’s Allness and evil’s nothingness followed and irresistibly took charge of the physical condition.” Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health, “The realization that all inharmony is unreal brings objects and thoughts into human view in their true light, and presents them as beautiful and immortal.” (276:12)

A woman working through the diagnosis of cancer (pp.149-151), being led by the importance of the Bible in Mrs. Eddy’s experience, set to the study of it in connection with our textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She states that “she found new significance in the New Testament account of Jesus’ disciples. Not only the spiritual qualities of thought that each of the disciples represented, but the human failings each had to overcome.” She further states, “And just as Jesus lovingly washed the feet of his disciples after the Passover supper, the understanding of the truth and love he taught could cleanse my thought of jealousy, doubt, pride, apathy – everything standing in the way of my healing.” She speaks of the time it took for the healing as “fruitful years.” She was entirely healed and healthier and stronger than she had ever been in her life. She wrote 30 years after the complete healing.

A couple of the healings pertinent to my experience past and present:

A woman left with five children to care for during the depression years, lost her job, and nearly exhausted of funds, had her purse stolen. (p.105) This spoke to me as I had many years as a single parent with limited funds. She states, “Christian Science taught me how I could rely on God every step of the way.” She ends this wonderful testimony of God’s goodness this way, “If all you have left in the house is the understanding that God is Love, and you use that, your needs will be taken care of.” Hers were, and mine were.

Now serving in the Sunday School of my branch church, I was impressed by the experience of the children dumped out of their canoe some distance from shore. (p.110) They used their Sunday School teachings to stay calm. The older boy who swam some distance to reach a nearby boat said he could hear their voices repeating the Scientific Statement of Being and the Little Children’s Prayer as he went for help. As he got tired and cold, he said some phrase of Truth would come to spur him on. The little 4-year- old, when asked what she was thinking while she waited, said, “Well I knew that the water was over father’s head. I knew the water was over mother’s head, but I knew that it wasn’t over God’s head.”

The Century book (p.viii) quotes Mrs. Eddy from Rudimental Divine Science: “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.” And it also states in the same paragraph, Paul says in I Corinthians 14, “If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?”

I will start documenting my healings and those I’ve witnessed. I was thinking – what if all the testifiers in this book had not documented their experiences, not given us the inspiration and proof that the Science of the Christ heals and God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

What am I going to do to be more active in healing?

Worship God only, love more, be more obedient to the rules we have been given, hold more persistently to the truth, be disciplined enough to leave the calling of materiality, reside in Spirit, listen to divine Mind, be willing to follow.