The Joy of Recovery

CASSIUS M. LOOMIS

A Jewel of worth and beauty, perhaps a gift from some dear friend, has been mislaid. Perturbation follows; then a fear that some hand may have taken it unlawfully. Search begins; and though we affirm that nothing in God's universe can ever be lost, we at last accept a sort of halfhearted belief that our gem has disappeared beyond recovery! Regrets may follow this unseemly surrender to error. Possibly, too, we may have ceased to affirm the truth as we did at first, and have chosen to accept the testimony of the senses as the world about us is doing and has done since time began.

Weeks later, and while dusting a remote corner in an unused room, we glance down and see a glittering spark, a tiny glimmer of light. Can it be our lost treasure? We stoop to see. Yes; there it is, unharmed and as lustrous as ever; and how pleased we are! And all this because of a mere speck of earth, which men call a diamond!

Though we may have sincere regret over the supposed loss of some material bauble, and experience joy when it is found, of how much greater importance is our return to health, especially when we have been led to believe it forever lost. While under this delusive claim of loss of health, did we affirm the truth as determinedly as when our jewel first disappeared? Not an easy thing to do, perhaps, when the outlook is dark and seemingly barren of promise. Yet despairing victims to so-called disease and misfortune have countered the inroads of erroneous thinking by this same practice of "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man," which "availeth much," coupled with denial of the claims of error. Great indeed is our joy on recovery, when it has been made effective wholly by spiritual means.

We read in the book of Acts that Peter brought about the healing of the one who was laid daily at the gate called Beautiful, so that he leaped and walked. Was not that cause for great rejoicing, inasmuch as he had been lame from the day of his birth? We cannot estimate the rejoicings that similar visitations from God are causing in our midst to-day. Yet, as a devout apostle of our Saviour, Peter saw fit to rebuke Israel's onlookers who were astounded at the seeming miracle. "Why marvel ye at this?" he said with compassion, "or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" Would not doubt in Peter's thought have made the healing impossible? His charitable word had been, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Not only was this one's healing instantaneous and complete, but Peter, moved by the spirit of holiness, improved his opportunity by delivering a scathing sermon of reproof to the throng about him, a plea in defense of Jesus of Nazareth, whom the populace in its haste and bigotry had ignominiously crucified.

The Christian Science practitioner may have similar ex periences with the incredulous thought of our times. To reach his patient successfully, some such word as Peter's may be necessary. Our Leader implies, on page 421 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," that it is sometimes necessary to "startle mortal mind in order to remove its beliefs," and "facilitate recovery." Why? Is it not because of the density of thought that pervades the average trend of modern thinking?

Before the discovery of Christian Science was given to the world, mankind was seeing as "through a glass, darkly," and the health-seeking methods then in vogue were increasingly numerous. Now, the power of the divine Word is available to the humblest believer, as our Master promised; and the joys of recovery are being constantly expressed by those who have espoused the truth and have made it the constant companion of their daily living.

Peter and John's work that day at the gate Beautiful is inspiring to seekers for Truth, who find in the recorded Acts of the Apostles direct evidence that the art of healing did not end with the disappearance of the human Jesus. If it did not cease then, who will dare to say that it ever became inoperative? In Christian Science we find the answer. Cumulative evidence that the law of God is as available to heal and bless now as it was in apostolic times is all about us. We see the joy of recovery written upon the faces of the many throughout the world who are voluntarily giving their testimonies of healing won through the efficacy of Christian Science. We can now safely say that the march of divine Science is not to be retarded. It is everlastingly ordained; and its flowing tide can never be turned back.

"Methinks the truth should live from age to age,
As 't were retail'd to all posterity,
Even to the general all-ending day."

Copyright, 1923, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, Falmouth and St. Paul Streets, Boston, Massachusetts. Entered at Boston post office as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918.

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