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HELEN C. SHERER A stranger once said to a Christian Science practitioner to whom he had applied for help: "I have a friend who is a Christian Scientist. He is one of the best men I ever knew. He is true as steel, faithful to his friends, a kind husband, a loving father, loyal to business trusts, in fact, my ideal of what a man should be, and yet — he made such a foolish remark the last time I saw him that I am irritated every time I recall it. A dozen times, when in the company of mutual friends, I have been tempted to repeat it and ridicule him, but could not; he is so true himself he must have had reason for saying it, some meaning which I do not see. I wish you could tell me; I want to think that he is not so idiotic as he seemed." The gentleman then went on with his story, to the effect that he had visited his friend at his place of business and had found him with his wrist bandaged. Upon inquiry he learned that there had been an accident prior to this time, but his friend assured him that he was quite over the effects, and proceeded to remove the bandage, at the same time asking if he wished to know how the cure had been effected, and saying, "I just knew that nothing had happened to me." In reply to the earnest question, "Do you know what he meant?" the practitioner answered, "Yes, I do, and I think I can make it plain to you." She said: "You know that your friend is of a certain height and weight; is of light or dark complexion, has eyes of a certain color, and so on. Yet this is not the man you described to me. Of him you said that he is kind, loyal, and true in all his human relationships. Are there, then, two friends? The one of whom you spoke first is assuredly first in your thought, most real to you. Well, the world usually recognizes a dual man, one that is both material and spiritual. Christian Science, on the other hand, knows only the spiritual man, and endeavors to see him at all times. Now did anything happen to this man? Was he any less kind to his children, less loving to his wife, less loyal to his friends? In fact, was that man the victim of an accident?" "Why no, of course not," was the reply, and the practitioner continued: "That was the man of whom your friend spoke. Knowing that this man — to him the only true man — had not been hurt, he ceased to believe in an injury, keeping in his thought the true man, the spiritual man, ever expressing health and holiness. Mrs. Eddy, in speaking of Jesus' healing says (Science and Health, p. 476): 'Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick.'" The inquirer was then told that if he would read carefully "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, he would see how the healing is possible, and would then realize what a debt of gratitude the world owes to Mrs. Eddy for this revelation of divine Truth. We were all blinded by our false sense of man, but can now say with the man of olden time: "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."
Christian Science Sentinel, February 1, 1919 |
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