Giving Testimony

KATE HOLT

AT first the healing of disease is the most noticeable effect following one's acquaintance with the new-old truth called Christian Science. That the world may know that God does heal now the same as when Christ Jesus healed the sick and the sinning, our beloved Leader wisely included the giving of testimonies as a part of the Wednesday evening service in Christian Science churches, and the publication of written, signed, and certified testimonies in the weekly and monthly periodicals, the Sentinel, Journal, and Herold. Such a voluminous mass of the evidences of Christianity has never before been presented to the world.

Among those who attend the Wednesday evening meetings are people who have been recently healed and who are but babes in Christ; others have been beneficiaries of this healing truth for many years; some have been reared in the knowledge of Christian Science and have never known any other method of healing or any other manner of life; still others are present for the first time and for the sole purpose of learning what Christian Scientists have to say concerning the faith that is in them and its results in their lives. These last, strangers within our gates, should be accorded hospitality, for we "were strangers in the land of Egypt," and we must give them, as our Leader bids us (Science and Health, p. 570), "a cup of cold water in Christ's name."

Some who have experienced Christian Science healing are eager to testify to its benefits. They feel it to be a debt which must be paid to a waiting world. Others have not yet overcome a fear of the sound of their own voices, and attend Wednesday evening meetings for a long time before they are able to tell what great things God hath done for them. In this connection the writer desires to give a word of encouragement to any one who has been healed but still has a belief in his inability to be a witness for God by word of mouth.

Before the knowledge of Christian Science came to me, much time was given to club work, and although the work was enjoyed and lengthy papers were written and much committee work was done, it was almost impossible to read the papers or to give an intelligent verbal report of work accomplished. A strange, unreasoning fear reduced the would-be speaker to one large tremble. After studying Science and Health for some time and receiving great benefits physically and spiritually, courage rose to the point of attending the church services. The obligation to give a testimony was felt, but club experiences rushed into remembrance and almost drowned the aspiration. Then the argument of error came like this: It would not make any difference if you did testify; nobody knows you, and people want to hear testimonies from persons who are well known, or at least from those whom they know. Glancing across the church at this point, my wandering gaze fell upon a person whom I had not seen for a long time and who had lived in the same house with me when I was almost a confirmed invalid, and thus the argument of error was proven false. My first testimony was then given without fear, and ever since it has been a constant joy to bear witness to the truth.

We can never know where the seed may fall or what fruit it may bring forth. Some months ago a business letter came to me from a lady now residing in a distant state, in which she stated that she had been helped repeatedly by a testimony which was given by me several years ago. This brings the thought that the testimony might benefit others. Having a stubborn belief of physical inharmony which did not yield readily to treatment, a sense of discouragement was creeping in, when a member of the family whose work at that time was in land titles, said that it was an extraordinary fact that there were people in our supposedly enlightened county who had been "bluffed" out of their property. These persons were ignorant of legal procedure and afraid of it, although they had titles to land which could be defended and established. Unscrupulous persons had, however, told them lies; that their claims were not valid, that a certain length of time had elapsed and their titles were therefore forfeited, and so on. The real owners had believed these lies and had allowed their property to slip away from them, or had ignorantly signed away their rights.

Instantly the thought came to me, Are you being "bluffed" out of your inheritance as a child of God, heir to health and holiness, joy and immortality? Why do you believe these specious lies that material sense is trying to force upon you? Are you even more ignorant of divine law than your fellow citizens are of man-made legal enactments? Will you make no effort to establish your title to your own place and your own right activity among God's ideas? Who or what is there to fear if God be with us? Then courage returned, fear fled, Love triumphed, and the sickness went back to its native chaos.

Shall those of us, then, who have proved the all-power of Truth and Love keep silent when the needy all about us are waiting to hear of what Christ, Truth, is doing in the world today?

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