Editorial December 6, 1924 Issue

Faith and Receptivity

Albert F. Gilmore

The practitioner of Christian metaphysics becomes convinced that he prays most successfully for the patient who is most receptive of the healing truth. The Christ, ever present and always available to heal and comfort, finds its way most readily into that mentality which willingly swings wide its door to the advent of the divine redeemer. A densely material mentality, holding firmly to its false basis life and its concomitants, is less susceptive of healing through spiritual means than is the mentality ready and eager to establish itself upon a permanent spiritual basis.

Faith in Christ as the redeemer of mankind is a large factor in successful spiritual healing; and, on the other hand, lack of such faith—a mental attitude which connotes faith in matter—is a state little conducive to success in the use of spiritual means for relieving discordant conditions. The incident related at the close of the thirteenth chapter of Matthew's gospel illustrates this. Returning, we are told, to his own country, Jesus "did not many mighty works" among his neighbors and countrymen "because of their unbelief," or "because of their want of faith," as several later translators render the passage. Apart from the interest which attaches to the statement as an excellent proof of the oftquoted declaration that "a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house," is the deeper lesson that he did not undertake to heal those not ready to receive healing. Obviously, the wise practitioner will find here a valuable lesson, for receptivity and faith are closely allied.

How much responsibility rests upon the practitioner and how much on the patient are questions that may be pondered with profit. Many times, without doubt, the Scripture above quoted has been invoked to explain the failure to heal those who seemed unreceptive of the Christly message. Careful study of the works of the Master leads one to believe that some degree of faith, that is, some degree of receptivity to the influence of spiritual truth, was possessed by all who sought him out of genuine interest in his message and works. He healed the multitude, we read, including sufferers from many maladies, who came to hear his message, and returned rejoicing. Yet we are told he did not heal many of his own countrymen. Why? Because of their lack of faith. It appears that now, as then, those who are receptive of the healing touch of the Christ, and are willing, even eager to surrender material beliefs, are most quickly and completely redeemed from the bondage of sickness and want. The mentality so inclined is the good ground upon which to sow the seeds of spiritual truth.

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