"… spiritual immune system is in place and active"

“Before they call, I will answer,” (Isa: 64) is the tag line I would place on this year’s Association assignment. I suspect we can agree that the reading of the book, A Century of Christian Science Healing, has been important and effective preparation for dealing with this claim of a global pandemic. It has helped me view it as a claim only, with its accompanied mass mesmerism. Reading this book before and during this crisis has rooted me on higher ground above the mesmerism, and it has insulated me from the fear of this illusory disease. Realizing all this, does not mean that specific work to counter this global attack has not been required, but the work has had its own “wings,” so to speak. The work has had more impulsion, more traction as you once wrote in an article. This is due to the utter conviction and proof of the efficacy of Christian Science healing contained in Century.

One healing early in the book that stood out to me was of the woman who had been taken captive in the conflict of the times between Native Americans and most likely European American settlers. The language and concepts of the times can be a bit jarring to the sensibilities of someone from the 21st century, but the healing and lessons learned are nonetheless profound. The testifier describes being held in an Indian camp and subjected to cruel treatment for a long period of time. Then upon her deliverance from that predicament, the woman endured 14 years of illness – another form of captivity stemming from the aftereffects of her experience. However, after having turned to Christian Science, the testifier was able to find both physical healing and freedom from the trauma experienced from having witnessed a massacre. The amazing part of the story is that Love insisted on a complete healing and follow through of the lessons learned, into daily life. The woman was asked, without her knowledge, to give Christian Science treatment to Native Americans. Through her healing work she was able to meet, forgive, and create Christly bonds of affection between herself and her former captors. Love would not let the woman harbor fear, resentment, or hatred toward those who by human analysis justified such treatment. Like in the Biblical account of the feeding of the multitude, in which the loaves and fishes can be seen as the healing of the multitude’s hunger, and the leftover twelve basketsful are the follow through of the healing into daily life. We are always required to continue the lessons of healing into future thought and action so that the blessing grows, and we continue our spiritual progress.

The other healing testimony that struck me for very different reasons was that of the chemistry professor at Principia, Dr. Ernest H. Lyons. In his account he describes being accidentally poisoned by potassium cyanide while preparing a chemical compound. He continues explaining in rather brief terms an astonishing healing of the poisoning and accompanied severe wound in only three days’ time. In most circumstance such an accident would have been fatal. The intriguing aspect of the account is the put down and rebellion of mortal mind by a fellow chemist. In his protest the colleague blatantly accuses Dr. Lyons of an irresponsible dissemination of false information to the public regarding this normally lethal chemical. The testifier is accused of endangering an ignorant public. The chemist also implies that Dr. Lyons was incompetent in conducting his preparations, as well as self-deceived in his interpretation of the incident and its healing. The colleague concludes by stating that Dr. Lyons is in effect unraveling the establishment of scientific law won through hundreds of years of effort. It was a seemingly personal attack, which in reality constituted mortal mind’s hatred of Spirit. This arises simply because the Christ disannuls matter’s claim to superiority, which in turn argues for its exclusive right to exist! The account concludes with Dr. Lyons’ employing the most rigorous professional scrutiny to consider all possible explanations for his healing. Then he concludes thus: “Cyanide was absorbed but rendered harmless by the higher law of life…The existence of a higher law, which can save life and relieve suffering in even the most hopeless circumstances, is so important that I am constrained to bring my experience to public notice.” (p. 171) Thus, the accusation of Dr. Lyons’ blatant irresponsibility toward the public, is thoroughly disproved. It is evident that this healing account is in fact urgently crucial to fostering public health and welfare.

I have been thinking quite a lot about a testimony I submitted already handling the claim of contagion. It was a healing of TB which was uncovered through the mandatory testing required for working in the public schools. As I mentioned previously, the test returned positive much to my surprise as I had not been aware of any symptoms. After being required to take chest X-rays, I was told that I had scars on my lungs indicating that I had contracted TB, but it was now healed. What was leftover was latent TB, an inactive form which could become active at any time. If I experienced no symptoms, I could enter the schools, as I was no longer contagious.

The conclusion of this account came a few years later when I wanted to train as a Christian Science nurse. It seemed wise to handle this unfinished business by ensuring I was still free of any possible infection that could be transmitted to those in a nursing facility. I took another TB test which came back negative, absolutely no TB either latent or otherwise!  

I recount this healing because, in reviewing it, I have seen another important spiritual aspect particularly applicable to the current challenge of contagion. I have come to see that God’s creation already has in place a built-in immune system; but it is not the physical one we constantly hear about. It is, in fact, the spiritual immune system which healed me of TB without my even knowing it! This spiritual immune system is God Himself – the spiritual substance from which His creation is made. This system also governs the environment lovingly created by God to foster beauty, happiness, health, safety, and wellbeing in behalf of His creation. This spiritual substance in both the creation and its environment is maintained and protected by divine law governing that creation. And finally, God Himself as Love and Principle actively cares for His creation while also enforcing His laws of health, peace, goodness, security, and so on. Then this, in effect, results in what we call healing. God’s creation including the environment it lives in, outlaws any dangerous or unhealthy element whatsoever. We would expect nothing less from an infinitely wise, intelligent, good and loving God. This spiritual immune system is in place and active in every citizen of the world, now. It is impervious to anything unlike God, absolute Love! It is impervious to Covid-19 in all its forms because it does not exist, it has no sanction to exist, and is outlawed by Omnipotence itself! End of story!

Other healings I’ve experienced since I’ve been a Christian Scientist include being healed of burns, poison oak, a severe swelling in my neck which threatened to cut off my breathing, depression and suicidal thoughts, severe leg cramps, the fear and trauma of the murder of a family member, the lifting out of a longstanding mentally abusive marriage, and, of course common colds and flu. Pets have been healed of severe and constant vomiting to the point of extreme weakness, a large cyst, and a large ball of flesh which opened and drained on its own. Obviously, there are many more healings to be accounted of!

The entry of another member of our Association reads, “It brought home the fact that healing is the essence of Christian Science, and I need to heal if I am going to call myself a Christian Scientist.” This expresses quite accurately the objective for my own progress in Christian Science. For me the imperative to heal brings with it the need to eliminate as much as possible the human selfhood “always… found arguing for itself – its habits, tastes and indulgences.” (Mis. 119) Eliminating a tendency to be distracted by the world in whatever form it may present itself, subtle or otherwise. It is also the constant need to eradicate the “you must do it” mentality. YOU must be responsible, YOU must do the work, YOU must heal, YOU must keep up with YOUR schedule, and on and on…! The point of healing, in fact the point of all Christian Science, is what GOD is doing, what GOD has always done, and what GOD will continue to do into infinity. My “work” is to pray and/or study to see, know, follow, and participate in his work. I think of His work as His constant activity in caring for His creation, as well as the benevolent power He exerts over the world. This objective is easy to state, but much harder to be obedient with the discipline to follow through with this inspiration. Reading a Century of Christian Science Healing helped in a significant way to move me along on this journey.