Article May 19, 2014 Issue

Run, pray, swim

Amelia Gill

As a teenager in today’s culture, it’s sometimes felt difficult for me to stay spiritually minded on a day-to-day basis. I don’t always go straight to prayer in Christian Science for an answer. This is when remembering my experiences from summer camp (a camp for Christian Scientists) comes in perfectly. Camps like the one I go to help nurture thought to lean on God all the time, including when things get tough and there are struggles and challenges.

In the summer of 2013, I spent seven weeks at a Christian Science camp as a CIT, or counselor in training. As CITs, we are preparing to become counselors, so we are constantly growing spiritually and learning to use Christian Science to guide us through each activity. One instance that helped me grow a lot was when our counselors told us we were all (including them) going to be silent for an entire day. It would be a time of self-discovery and listening to God, free from distractions. Well, the next moment after telling us this news, our counselors said we were all going to run two miles into town, then jump in the lake and swim those same two miles back to camp—silently.

As a cabin, we’d been working out and preparing for hikes, sports, and other activities that required us to be in shape. And while preparing we were all constantly supporting each other with words, with spiritual ideas and encouragement. So, immediately, when I heard we weren’t talking for an entire day, I was so frightened that I thought there was no way I could do the run and swim without constant verbal support from my cabin mates.