Spiritually mental healing
He was busy, this Christian healer. He was on his way to minister to a dying girl, just twelve years old. But the pressing crowd made it slow going. And there in the crush of humanity was someone else reaching out for help. He stopped briefly and, looking around, asked, "Who touched me?"
His students, walking alongside, misunderstood the question.But a woman stepped forth -- a bit shaken -- and told how she had just been healed of severe hemorrhaging as she touched the edge of his clothing.
The healer -- Christ Jesus -- was quick to explain what had happened. "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole." It was not the physical contact, but the woman's utter faith in the truth Jesus lived and taught that had brought healing. n1
n1 See Luke 8:43-48.
The Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, explains further that the thought of the sick woman was what Jesus had detected in the crowd. She writes of this incident, "Jesus knew, as others did not, that it was not matter, but mortal mind, whose touch called for aid." n2 Jesus instantly responded to the woman's mental call with the power of divine Mind, God, and thus restored health.
n2 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,m p. 86.
Today, Christian Science heals through the same power that Jesus employed --through spiritually mental means. A Christian Scientist does not regard matter as the key to healing the case. Rather, he turns his thought radically away from physicality toward God.
Christian Science defines man as the very expression, or image, of God. Since God is Spirit, man is entirely spiritual. Man, in Science, is not made of chemical compounds. Rather, he reflects spiritual qualities -- like joy, dominion, intelligence, and purity.
God being perfect, man, God's idea, is also perfect. Man's spiritual identity is as immutable and indestructible as God is.
The power of prayer awakens a person to these spiritual facts and brings health to the human body.
Twentieth-century Christian healing is illustrated in an experience I had as a teen-ager. At that time I went to see a Christian Science practitioner -- one who dedicates his or her life to healing through prayer -- about a growth that had developed on my ankle. She expressed no interest whatsoever in looking at the ankle. She didn't even ask about it.
What didm she do? She turned me to the allness and goodness of God. We talked a lot about spiritual growth, about the importance of growing in my understanding of man as the flawless expression of Spirit.
The practitioner also read to me from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scripturesm by Mrs. Eddy. I'm not sure now, but probably one of the passages read was this one from Science and Health:m "What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds." n3
n3 ibid.,m p. 4.
Lastly, the practitioner agreed to pray for me -- silently and scientifically.
The growth did not immediately disappear. But after I visited with the practitioner several times the most wonderful thing happened. I stopped worrying about my ankle or checking it, as i had frequently done previously. My thought was being led Spiritward. It was a few months later that I inadvertently noticed that the ankle was perfectly normal -- and it has remained so in the twenty some years since. I was certainly pleased, but not surprised at the healing. To me, it was a natural result of the Christ, or Truth, at work in my consciousness.
Christian Science healing is a byproduct of knowing God. It enables us to understand ourselves as children of Spirit, made and maintained by our beneficent Father-Mother. This Science reveals to us our true godliness -- our spiritual, indissoluble unity with divine Love.
The Psalmist proclaims the great cause for rejoicing: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; healeth all thy diseases." n4
n4 Psalms 103:2, 3.
DAILY BIBLE VERSE I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalms 139: 14
