Article May 31, 1913 Issue

SYMPATHY

EDITH DOYLE.

In an old English newspaper, dated Nov. 25, 1658, there is a notice of a book with this peculiar characterization: "Sir Kenelm Digby's Discourse, touching the cure of wounds by the powder of sympathy." It would doubtless be interesting to read this old book, to know whether the wounds and the powder were merely material, or whether the author had a glimmer of something higher than dust, namely, the power of Mind. In this century, however, a book has been published which shows how all wounds, physical and mental, may be cured by the power of true sympathy. This book is "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, and every page tells of the power of the Love that is God, and how an understanding of this power will cure disease of every kind. People will readily admit that love can cure a mental wound, but they cannot always see that a physical wound can be reached in the same way, Perhaps this can be illustrated by the following case:

A man was said to be wasting away with an organic disease. All that medicine and surgery could do had been done; but physician, specialist, and surgeon pronounced the case hopeless, and said that death might come any day. The wife gave up sleep and rest to nurse her husband night and day; and when for sheer weariness he longed to die, she would with gentle words bring him back to hope and life. Many prayers were offered, and his daughter prayed for him daily, with a childlike trust that God was too good to take him away. Slowly but surely the man recovered, and returned to a normal, active life. The doctors said it was a miracle, that by all the laws of medicine he had no right to be alive. They attributed his recovery to the good nursing. As a matter of fact, it was simply the love and trust which would not let him go.

If such a miracle can be wrought by the power of human love, is it too much to claim that the power of divine Love can heal any disease, and that, too, without material remedies? This is what Christian Science claims, and what it is proving daily. But it must be remembered that this claim is based on no assertion of the human will, but on a knowledge of the will of a God who is Love. Divine Love alone really heals, and this Love must be reflected and expressed humanly in sympathy for our fellow men. The human heart is very sensitive. As a flower shrivels up and dies in a cold wind, but opens out in the warm sunshine, so the human heart will shrivel up and lose vitality in the coldness of criticism and condemnation, but will open out in the warmth of sympathy and understanding. Like Solomon, we should pray for "an understanding healing Jesus had this gift without measure, and it is called compassion in the gospels. In nearly all the accounts of his healing works, it is said that "he had compassion" on the people. This was not condolence with wrong, but a perception of the facts respecting those who came to him with their troubles.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

EFFECT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS