Testimony of Healing May 8, 1915 Issue

I do not think it possible to find any one whose antagonism...

Mattie P. Garber

I do not think it possible to find any one whose antagonism to Christian Science was more pronounced than was mine; in fact, I was really afraid of people who called themselves Christian Scientists, for I had heard ridiculous stories, flavored with spiritualism and hypnotism, and so I preferred to keep at a distance from these people. The first time, I visited their place of worship much against my wish. I was with one who was having treatment and could not go alone; but I would not go without a third party, as I feared I would need protection. I therefore persuaded a friend who was also antagonistic to what we thought were the teachings of Christian Science, to go with us. The hymns, we admitted, were very beautiful, and a great sense of peace filled the auditorium; but when the readers started the Lesson-Sermon, and we saw a little lavender ribbon falling down under the desk (it was used by the second reader to mark the places where she was to read), we both thought this most significant, and became quite nervous, watching for developments. After the service we were greeted by so many intelligent looking people that we were surprised.

I accompanied the same patient to the practitioner's office day after day, where I heard some of the beautiful quotations of the Bible explained so differently from my former teachings, that I agreed there was more real Christianity in Christian Science than I had supposed. After I had followed this course for some time, I was seized with an old trouble, which usually caused me to be in bed for hours with hot applications. As I could not get a substitute to accompany the patient, I decided, though with an air of defiance, to ask the practitioner to relieve this great suffering before treating the patient, thinking I might thereby learn something of the mystery surrounding these people.

On entering the office, though with assistance, on account of intense pain, I found many patients ahead of me, so I tried to bear my suffering and say, "I am not sick," repeatedly, as I understood Christian Scientists did. In a few minutes one of the visitors came over to me and asked if I believed in Christian Science. She said she was desperate, and had decided she might as well end all and get out of this world. I was touched at her grief, yet I did not know how to answer her question. I said that I knew very little about this teaching, but from what I could gather in hearing the practitioner's explanations, Christian Scientists believe that God is our life; we cannot end it; that He is our strength; He is divine Love, and "in him we live, and move, and have our being." I talked to her until the busy practitioner had time to receive her, and to my astonishment my own pains had disappeared. I told the practitioner of this, and asked how I was healed. He smiled and said, "By giving out love." This sounded beautiful, but was not satisfactory, so I decided to read the text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," myself.

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