The Touch of Class January 28, 2013 Issue

A life-launching experience

Eric Horner

When I was in my early adulthood, I was casually reading a pamphlet I had purchased from our local Christian Science Reading Room. In it was an article that seemed to speak directly to me. I took it as a personal call to arms, and it launched me into becoming a serious student of Christian Science. I read and reread the article dozens of times, though I never noticed the author’s name. It was clearly printed on the article, but it was as if it were hidden from my view. 

Within the next year or so, I began to think about my next step in Christian Science: Primary class instruction. I had moved to a new, large city and had met a young Christian Science practitioner who had helped me in prayer successfully several times. We became friends and
had many wonderful, invigorating conversations. My landlady at the time, also a Christian Scientist, told me that my new friend was a Christian Science teacher. It felt so natural to explore the idea of taking class instruction with him, and before long I applied and was accepted into his class the following summer.

The class was a life-changing experience. Truly, I felt as if I could go out and heal the world! After I returned home, the idea came to me to dig out that landmark article that had changed everything for me and reread it in light of what I had learned in the class. Imagine the moment when I opened that well-loved, tattered pamphlet to see the name of the author blazing off the page in front of me. Yes, it was written by my teacher! The moment is almost indescribable. I felt a humility I had never experienced before, and joy and gratitude so deep that tears welled up in my eyes. I was beginning to glimpse the unfailing hand of God gently leading me in my life, taking care of all the details—right down to finding my Christian Science teacher. 