Testimony of Healing November 21, 1931 Issue

Several members of my family had become deeply interested...

W. Wallach

Several members of my family had become deeply interested in Christian Science, but as a young man I did not feel that it held an appeal for me. At that time I was interested in politics and had convinced myself, by the reading of much distorted literature, that the times were "out of joint." I criticized and imputed wrong motives to the leading men in public life, and it seemed foolish to me for good church people to devote themselves to a study of unworldly matters as long as there were such pressing wrongs occurring in everyday public affairs. That I was not alone in this feeling was evidenced by the fact that this was a period of intense partisan activity. I must also admit that I was not well pleased with the other members of my family because of their lack of political interest and their attention to Scriptural readings.

Physically, I enjoyed health; and my eyesight was excellent until, without warning, in the midst of my college activities, I suddenly experienced a sharp pain through one eye, and upon examining it in a mirror I was surprised to find that the pupil was awry, so that I could not see. The agony was intense, and I had to close my eyelids to exclude the light. A friend assisted me to the office of an oculist, and during the following days I was given a series of careful tests, accompanied by sedatives and the use of dark lenses. The oculist, who was a friend of the family and recognized as a man skillful in his work, after tests extending over several days assured me that because of certain structural defects which had developed in my eyes I must now expect to wear glasses if I hoped to proceed with my college work. I was further informed that as the years passed the lenses of the glasses would have to be strenghened, and that periodical tests should be made to ascertain if further impairment of my vision occurred. Rather than receive Science help, I adjusted myself to the unpleasantness of glasses, and continued to read eagerly all the old rumors and condemnations directed against men in public affairs.

Despite my unwillingness to read Christian Science literature, a deep leaven was working as, month after month, my brother and sisters exhibited proof after proof of the healing efficacy of Truth. Being purblind, I was even moved to congratulate myself that I did not belong to a church whose members "swallowed" such healings. There came a time, however, when, partly through need and partly through awakening interest, I sought relief from another illness by going to see a practitioner. Her methods were not spectacular, nor were her ideas queer; but one thing she impressed upon me, and that was the necessity of the daily study of the Bible together with the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, by following the Lesson-Sermons in the Christian Science Quarterly. At first, I did not connect the change in my condition with the change in what I had been reading. I did not appreciate that the simple pouring into my consciousness of the stream of the Old and New Testament writings and their exegesis prevented me from reading as many political diatribes as I had been accustomed to. It seemed a big loss of time, and yet I continued the practice systematically, although the metaphysical ideas often conflicted with the biting newspaper articles of condemnation of men in public life.

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