"The patient was Nigeria"

I have looked forward to writing this email, assured that this day of testimony shall certainly come. 

I requested specific Christian Science treatment from our Association members regarding the outbreak of the Ebola virus in my country in July this year; and, true to form, our Association rose to the height of the Christ standard, and the result is healing.  I shall fill in a little with some details, if I may.

As soon as the news carried reports that a visitor had traveled to my country and had been diagnosed with, and shortly after, passed on from, the virus, fear gripped the nation.  It was almost palpable in the media reporting, and interpersonal reactions amongst citizens in every sphere of the society, from government, to churches, to sports arenas.  The international news broadcast in the country also had many headlines, most of them filled with dire predictions.

I had been praying for the continent as a whole before this, so when the case in my country was reported, I was shocked to find that I needed to deal with a frisson of fear in my own thought.  But it was a wake-up call for me.  I first worked for myself specifically, and was calmed by the healing thought that the healing Christ is present in the human consciousness (not just in the consciousness of Christian Scientists).  I must also say I was grateful for the clear, calm and uplifted thought of my Christian Scientist son.

In Miscellany (219:26-11), Mrs. Eddy specifically instructs Christian Scientists to responsibly abide by the demands of the law of the land, when there is a sense of contagion, and as one of the Committees on Publication for my country, I had written an article addressing the issue, with this instruction at the forefront of thought.  But there had been an immediate clamp down by the government on all publications or activities that might encourage anything other than medical treatment, in public thought; so the article was not published.

The virus seemed to be spreading very quickly, and with devastating effect.  Two medical personnel succumbed in quick succession, and then a third member of the visitors entourage also passed on.  As I continued to pray, I felt led to do two things.  Request prayerful support through the Manager’s Office in Boston regarding the non-publication of my articles (I had written a second one by then); and seek specific metaphysical help from our Association members for treatment of the sense of contagion.  The patient was Nigeria. 

Here is what happened next.  Two of my articles were published immediately.  One of the pending articles, was published in the Health column, and another article, published earlier, was re-published the same day, by the same national newspaper, in their Religion column.  This other article stated that materiality has no place in spiritual healing.  I also got an email from you, which showed that our members had taken up the case immediately, and were working.

Then, those diagnosed with the virus started recovering.  I must add, that there was an experimental drug, which was being used in the US and Europe to treat some patients, though the medical opinion was that there was no cure.  This experimental drug was not available in my country; and very soon it was announced that even the supply of the drug in the other countries was exhausted.  Yet, the diagnosed patients in my country continued to recover.  The collective national sense of fear and dread ebbed.  I knew the mesmerism was broken.

My second pending article on the issue was subsequently published, and the newspaper editor expressed gratitude for the stand Christian Science was taking on the matter.  He said he was sure it was beneficial.  I encouraged our Church members around the country to work for themselves, their families, their branch churches, their communities and their country.  And they did.

Then when the last case was about to be discharged, there seemed to be a setback.  The national news reported that one of the individuals had broken quarantine, and infected some people in another part of the country.  Two people had succumbed almost immediately.  This time I was ready to see through the lie.  I saw this as error’s final stand - a desperate last ditch attempt to tempt God’s children.  And so it proved. The seeming spread halted in its tracks.  Everyone else who was thought to have contracted the virus recovered without the use of drugs.  The World Health Organisation that was closely monitoring the situation, gave my country a clean bill of health, by the third week in September, and the tone of the news began to change for the better.

It may interest members to know that in the first week of September, I was asked to talk at a metaphysical meeting my branch church had organised to address the issue of contagion.  I was grateful to share some of the thoughts that our Association members had shared, with my branch church.  Knowing that Christian Scientists around the world were praying specifically for our country, has given our branch church members a wider, deeper and stronger sense of the unity and purpose of Church as a whole.  My fellow country men and women are learning to forgive, to appreciate our government, to take better care of our environment, and to trust that there really is nothing that God cannot do.

I have written in such detail, so that the dear members of the Association who readily took up the case, as we stood shoulder to shoulder to work in Science, may have some sense of how effective Truth is, to bring about healing.

Would you kindly express my heartfelt gratitude to our Association members, and thank you for your effective work.  As you rightly mentioned, in your immediate response to my request, it has been “a diapason of heart-beats.” (My 189:8)

Dear Association members, I thank God for you all.  The greatest and best reward of Christian Science treatment, is healing.