Article February 16, 2009 Issue

The path of health, not contagion

Helen Stevermer

HAVING grown up in a warm climate in the American South, I was excited to move north for a change of scenery after college. It was fun to experience winter traditions such as sledding, snowball fights, and sipping cocoa by the fire. Very quickly, though, I noticed that along with the annual temperature changes came gloomy predictions about outbreaks of seasonal illness. The general advice was that, in order to combat these challenges, one should be extra cautious about public settings, take flu shots, and stock up on hand sanitizers. It seemed a dark footnote to all the joy the winter season brought.

Once, as I was attending a Christian Science Wednesday evening testimony meeting, a friend provided another way to look at combating illness. He mentioned a line from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, that states, "Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil" (p. 571). My friend then pointed out that although one might not always relish the occasion to prove the healing power of prayer right away, we always appreciate the victories!

There was a time when I experienced a victory over chronic bouts of the flu through prayer. I was working in an office building, among the ranks of the cubicle dwellers. One feature of this open-air setting is the unfiltered exchange of conversation among employees. In that office, however, the chatter was largely related to discussions of illness, particularly in the winter months. Company layoffs had fueled concerns about job security, so many employees were hesitant to miss work. Consequently, teammates often came to their desks not only talking about their illnesses, but also fully showing flu-like symptoms.