Scientific Christian healing
MY son recently completed a project for the school science fair. As a result, he has begun to appreciate, through trial and error, reasoning, and some success, what ``the scientific method'' requires. And he has gained a measure of understanding that he'll be able to apply to other things. We adults pretty readily accept the scientific method as a means of finding out about ourselves and our world. According to one definition, ``science'' is ``systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation carried on in order to determine the nature or principles of what is being studied.'' It's unfortunate that many have not realized the tremendous importance of seeing Christianity in a scientific light. A deep, unprejudiced investigation of the Bible can awaken a fuller appreciation of remarkable works--works that are often considered supernatural or miraculous but that in reality are natural demonstrations of divine law.
Moses' leading of the Israelites through the Red Sea, the meeting of their needs in the wilderness, the record of physical healings throughout the Bible--these point toward something more reliable and definitive than we may have supposed. Don't they indicate the operation of divine law?
The healing works of Christ Jesus--including instantaneous healings of leprosy, palsy, insanity, and deformity through spiritual means alone--ought to be of deep interest to individuals who expect that there must be a reasonable explanation for the phenomenon of spiritual healing. Mary Baker Eddy was one who could not set this healing record on a shelf as a marvelous yet mysterious phenomenon. She searched for an explanation. The search spanned many years, across the challenges of her own eventful life. At a crucial moment--when her very life seemed to hang in the balance--she saw more deeply the scientific nature of Jesus' Christianity and was healed. She referred to that experience as ``the falling apple'' 1 that eventually led her to the discovery of Christian Science, of the practical, scientific application of Jesus' teachings to human difficulties.
She later wrote in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: ``Jesus of Nazareth was the most scientific man that ever trod the globe. He plunged beneath the material surface of things, and found the spiritual cause.'' 2
The Science of Christianity, dealing with spiritual cause and effect--beyond what the physical senses perceive--is not inaccessible or remote. It is practical truth, discernible to our native spiritual sense. It is a present help, which we can learn to utilize.
The spiritual basis of Christian Science is the perfection of God, the creator and Principle of the universe, and the consequent perfection of His image, man. Jesus said, ``Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.'' 3 His words point to the spiritual truth of man, which we can all prove, step by step. While we may have a long way to go, we shouldn't underestimate our ability to prove spiritual law in our lives today.
There is hardly space here to enlarge upon the availability and practicality of Christianity operating according to scientific law. Yet nothing prevents an honest investigation of the ideas Christian Science presents and the proofs offered. Firsthand investigation is the most satisfactory. The Discoverer of Christian Science herself encourages it: ``You can prove for yourself, dear reader, the Science of healing, and so ascertain if the author has given you the correct interpretation of Scripture.'' 4 1 See Retrospection and Introspection, p. 24. 2 Science and Health, p. 313. 3 Matthew 5:48. 4 Science and Health, p. 547.
