Editorial September 3, 1932 Issue

Expansive Faith

W. Stuart Booth

At a Christian Science testimony meeting, such as is held regularly in every Christian Science church throughout the world, a man, in recounting his experience, stated that before he had been healed by Christian Science of what physicians had said was an incurable disease, he had read the Bible and had prayed earnestly for healing. Among the Scripture records which had served for a time to encourage him was the combined rebuke and promise made by Christ Jesus to his disciples when they questioned him as to the reason for their failure to heal a case of lunacy. Christ Jesus' answer to them was, "Because of your unbelief: for verify I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." The testifier stated that his faith had been at least as great as a grain of mustard seed, and yet his prayers had been unavailing. His complete healing by means of Christian Science indicated that the true spiritual sense of Christ Jesus' teaching is explained and made available in Mrs. Eddy's writings.

The important point in Christ Jesus' answer to the disciples' query is that the Christian's faith is to be not as large or as small as a grain of mustard seed, but "as" or like a mustard seed. Some time before healing the case of lunacy, Christ Jesus, in likening the kingdom of heaven unto a mustard seed, had said that, although it is the least of all seeds, "when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof." Evidently the seed of mustard was referred to by our Master because of its potential possibilities. This lesson is driven home by Mrs. Eddy's statement in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 297), where she writes: "Faith is higher and more spiritual than belief. . . . Until belief becomes faith, and faith becomes spiritual understanding, human thought has little relation to the actual or divine." The Christian's faith, then, must not be static, but progressive; it must expand into spiritual understanding.

Now it is plain that this spiritual understanding and the blessings — the joy, peace, health, and freedom which attend it— are not vicariously gained. A patient who appeals to a Christian Science practitioner for assistance cannot reasonably expect the practitioner to do his studying and watch his thinking for him. If he went to a doctor for help, he would not expect the doctor to swallow the medicine he might prescribe; and he should be as consistent and faithful in cooperating with a Christian Science practitioner.

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