The remarkable faith and courage of the Shunammite woman which enabled her to declare, "It is well," as she faced the death of her small son, has inspired untold thousands for centuries. We are told in II Kings that instead of accepting the material evidence she hastened to Elisha for help. We read (4:25, 26): "And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well."

The Shunammite woman's answer revealed to Elisha that she had glimpsed the truth of his teachings, and had gained spiritual faith in the power of God. Accordingly, it was not only Elisha's spiritual understanding of divine Life, but also her enlightened faith which brought about the healing of her son.

Today, through the revelation of Christian Science, we can say with spiritual faith and understanding, "It is well," despite the material sense of things. Mary Baker Eddy, speaking of true faith, says (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pp. 487, 488): "This faith relies upon an understood Principle. This Principle makes whole the diseased, and brings out the enduring and harmonious phases of things." Only when we base faith on the understanding of the truth of being can we show our faith by our works and demonstrate our God-given dominion and freedom.

Mere belief or blind faith in the power of certain passages from the Bible or from Mrs. Eddy's writings to save or heal has no place in Christian Science. Such belief does not enter into either its teaching or its practice. Healing in Christian Science is based solely on a demonstrable, practical understanding of divine Principle, the same Principle which Christ Jesus used nearly two thousand years ago.

Therefore when a Christian Scientist says, "It is well," he is not just blindly quoting Scripture. Through the understanding gained from divine Science, he is making a scientific statement of the truth. He knows that in God's creation every idea is eternally spiritual, perfect, and governed only by the law of divine Life and Love. The man that God creates is always harmonious, healthy, joyous, and free. He is continuously protected, supplied, comforted, and safe in the arms of Love.

No problem or inharmonious condition can confuse one who understands himself to be the real man, God's idea, who reflects infinite intelligence from the all-knowing Mind. In the spiritual universe there is no sickness, sin, or death, no fear, doubt, or imperfection of any kind. Hence, the real man lives and moves in a flawless, perfect, spiritual environment.

This means that right now, in our present state of consciousness, we can step by step obtain harmony and freedom from material beliefs which seem to confront us. We demonstrate this true freedom in proportion as we claim and recognize our real selfhood as the perfect idea of God and destroy the false belief that error, evil, is real or a part of His creation.

Christian Science proves that it is impossible, as well as inconceivable, for Principle, God, to know or tolerate any sort of error or mistake. Therefore, to Principle there is no illness or problem; there is only Love, health, harmony. Further, it makes no difference how discordant a condition may appear to be or how long one has suffered because of it. In Principle the seeming erroneous condition does not exist, never has existed, nor ever will exist.

Thus with courage and a faith born of demonstrations of the truth in our experience, we can face any problem or untoward condition, knowing that it has no truth to support it and that therefore it is not real, but is simply a mistake or false belief. The instant that we recognize this and understand that we are, in reality, ideas of divine Principle, maintained, placed, and governed by Love, God, complete harmony will be restored.

When we are able in the presence of seeming discordant conditions to stand boldly for the truth, we can be sure that we are gaining spiritual faith. Then the various suggestions of mortal mind, whether manifest as evil, sickness, or sin, will be readily destroyed by divine Love.

The truth of this was demonstrated in the case of a young mother shortly after beginning her study of Christian Science. It was late at night, and the mother was alone in a large house with her small son. He became seriously ill. His face and neck became alarmingly swollen, and he lost consciousness. Fearfully, the mother walked back and forth struggling to know what to do. Should she call the old family doctor or a Christian Science practitioner? Then came the answer: "Why, of course, now is the time to have faith. I'll place him in God's hands."

She telephoned a Christian Science practitioner for help and then courageously and faithfully left her son in God's care. In the morning the child was completely healed. The mother's heart sang with joy and gratitude. By her reliance on God at that critical time her faith was immeasurably increased. This was proved by the fact that she never again was made to doubt or question, nor was she ever tempted to rely on aught but the healing power of the Word of God.

When we turn to Principle for our help, we are not neglecting our loved ones or ourselves. Instead, we are requesting and receiving the finest of all treatments—the tender, loving care of our Father-Mother God. Mrs. Eddy writes (Science and Health, p. 231): "What God cannot do, man need not attempt. If God heals not the sick, they are not healed, for no lesser power equals the infinite All-power; but God, Truth, Life, Love, does heal the sick through the prayer of the righteous."

So let us trust more and have confidence in our heavenly Father. He loves us and needs us. We are His perfect, useful ideas. He will never neglect or fail to comfort and heal us if we have spiritual faith and radically rely on Him.

Students of Christian Science gain more faith with every proof of God's care. Gradually this faith ripens into spiritual understanding. The material laws, the beliefs of life and intelligence as resident in matter, then begin to disappear. In their place the spiritual facts of God, of His harmonious government of man and the universe, begin to appear and to be understood.

It is because of his understanding of the truth that the faithful student of divine Science can truly proclaim in the face of any material condition, "It is well!" The positive declaration of this spiritual fact, understood, inspires more faith, brings healing, and reveals the complete harmony of man, the perfect idea of God.