Editorial December 19, 1925 Issue

Christian Healing

Ella W. Hoag

For nearly two thousand years Christian people have desired to prove to the world that the babe born in Bethlehem of Judea brought to mankind the gospel of salvation. Through all of Jesus' earth-life, he evidenced that this gospel was indeed the way of deliverance from both sin and disease—yes, even from death itself. As all students of religious history know, for a few hundred years after Jesus' ascension his followers continued to demonstrate this healing in some measure.

Then popularity brought weakness; houses and lands became of more concern to the Christian church and its people than the spirit which heals. From that time until Christian Science was revealed, there were comparatively few cases of the overcoming of disease through spiritual means. Even sin was more frequently held in check than obliterated; while the healing of most physical discords was unblushingly taken entirely out of God's hand and turned over to wholly material methods.

In an article entitled "The Cry of Christmas-tide" (Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 369, 370), written by Mrs. Eddy many years ago, she says, "Let the sentinels of Zion's watchtowers shout once again, 'Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.' " And then she goes on to say: "In different ages the divine idea assumes different forms, according to humanity's needs. In this age it assumes, more intelligently than ever before, the form of Christian healing. This is the babe we are to cherish. This is the babe that twines its loving arms about the neck of omnipotence, and calls forth infinite care from His loving heart."

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