Article November 15, 1947 Issue

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE

JAYNE GAGE

Two students of Christian Science walked among the hills. As they walked, they needed to know and understand the facts of spiritual being, for one of them was experiencing physical pain so acute that at times walking was made very difficult. However, remembering that Mary Baker Eddy says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 101), "He who turns to the body for evidence, bases his conclusions on mortality, on imperfection," they turned away from this belief of pain and discomfort to the continuation of their Leader's words in the same address: "The Science of omnipotence demonstrates but one power, and this power is good, not evil; not matter, but Mind. This virtually destroys matter and evil, including sin and disease."

Because they knew that freedom from pain would be the answer to their prayer of right thinking, gloom did not companion these two as they proceeded down the long slope of the hill to the gate below. All that they saw—the quiet, peaceful downs, the faraway plain with its manifold activities, the cattle and their young in the valleys, and the birds soaring and singing—symbolized for them the spiritual truths concerning man and the universe which they were learning from the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. As had been the case many times before, they were keenly aware of and grateful for their Leader's consecration to God and her love for mankind. And at the foot of the hill, before the gate could be opened, the erstwhile sick one leaped over, declaring that the belief of pain had been left "on the other side of the fence."

While they enjoyed this way of announcing a healing, neither was slow to grasp how well this simple declaration described the accomplishment of a healing by the operation of Christian Science. Outside of Christian Science, mortals accept multitudinous opinions and reactions about the so-called physical body and its modes of living, many of them discordant. Generally speaking, the religions of the world do not show men the way out of these dismal discords into the light of Life which, according to the Bible, we should expect to enjoy. But nineteen centuries ago those who turned to Jesus for healing were relieved instantaneously of the ills of the flesh. Why, then, are today's Christians so frequently in bondage to physical discords?

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