“Sharing Christian Science is the best gift that I can give”

The best way I can describe how reading these testimonies has affected my conception of Christian Science healing is to think of a box being removed to reveal an unlimited view all around. I have always believed that anything is possible to God and that there is a solution to every human “problem” through Christian Science prayer. But reading these testimonies has made me realize that I have sometimes fallen into a subtle acceptance of false claims about myself and others, thinking, “Oh, that’s how it is now with that person,” or “That’s a “big” claim to overcome,” or even “That problem is not that bad.”

One point that came across again and again as I read these clear and strong testimonies was that matter (including time) does not make any difference—these Christian Scientists did not get alarmed by matter, did not think that a false claim of many years’ standing would be any less responsive to Christian Science, did not get caught up in thinking that a “big” problem required a lengthy amount of time to heal through prayer.

There was joy flowing throughout these testimonies. Many people described being regenerated through their study of Christian Science, and also having had the happiest years of their lives after learning about and sharing Christian Science. There was such generosity in these testimonies—so many of the writers started off by saying their motive for sharing their healing was for others to find hope and healing from it.

So many of these testifiers had a resurrection experience because of another’s love and willingness to share Christian Science. Ever since going through class, it has been getting clearer to me that sharing Christian Science with someone is the best gift that I can give, and I have been doing that more and more. The testimony about the Christian Scientist who wrote to the Belgian woman after hearing her describe her problem on the radio has, I hope and do sincerely pray, banished any residual reservation I may have had about sharing Christian Science (Violet Depape-Hutton, Sentinel, June 27, 1953; p.28).

These testimonies also showed a real leaning on God—some people may have been tentative at first, but healing occurred when they stuck with Christian Science, trusting and understanding that there is no power apart from God, “never doubting that Truth would triumph” (Heman C. Korfhage, C.S. Weekly (Sentinel), January 5, 1899; p. 24).

I am no longer shy about talking about God when I share Christian Science with people. Afraid of sounding “preachy,” I used to try to talk about Christian Science ideas without God in the center; of course, this always felt like crumbs without the feast.

These words of Miss Shabushnig have been inspiring to me: “every inaudible declaration of my perfection as a child of God that was made by Scientists with whom I came into contact during this period helped me, and I am earnestly endeavoring to aid in the same way others whom I meet in my daily work, by keeping my own concept of man pure and unspotted” (Doris M. Shabushnig, Sentinel, July 19, 1947; p.17). I do think that my attempts to do this (rather than being judgmental or accepting something that isn’t true) are a healing experience in progress that will result in other healings.