If I have a favorite Bible story, I believe it is the one recorded in John's Gospel of Christ Jesus' healing of the nobleman's son who was ill at Capernaum. We read that the nobleman sought the Master's help, saying, "Sir, come down are my child die." Jesus' reply was, "Go thy way; thy son liveth" (4:49, 50). The beautiful demonstration of God's immediacy there set forth recalls an experience I had soon after becoming seriously interested in Christian Science.

It occurred during World War II, in 1944, when our son was making ready to go overseas. I tried hard to hide my feelings, but my anxiety for his safety grew each day until it was obvious to all those around me. This attitude did not ease the situation for anyone and made it most difficult for our son.

I wanted to be rid of this dreadful fear, and I prayed constantly in my own way without result. Calling a Christian Science practitioner was something new for me, and I felt very hesitant. Then one day I picked up the telephone and called one. I soon heard a kind voice at the other end of the line, and the tenseness left immediately as I poured out my troubles. As I left the phone, I felt like a new person. The light of Truth had shone in the words spoken by the practitioner, and I was at once very much at peace.

A few days later we received a letter from our son postmarked about the time of my conversation with the practitioner. He had written from the port of embarkation, and in the postscript on his letter he said, "I don't know why but all of a sudden I feel so much better about leaving and am looking forward to the time when I will return to all of you." My heart overflows with gratitude whenever I hear read verse 53 from John 4, "So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house." I recall that in the same hour in which I was told that my son is a spiritual idea I "believed, and [my] whole house." The Bible we had read so often became more meaningful as we began the study of Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy.

The days and months went on, and God fed me many beautiful truths and led me in paths of righteousness. These truths kept me strong and prepared me for difficult days ahead. A few months later we received a message from the government advising us that our son was "missing in action." There was no hesitation this time in calling the practitioner for help. We all prayed, but this time we asked for spiritual understanding. We received it, and during the long period of waiting were able to help many friends who came to our home to console us. They thanked us for our help. I was happy when in my study I discovered such truths as that Mind, God, is the source of all action. I knew that our son, being a spiritual idea, was included in that action and so could not possibly be missing in action. I had learned to accept the spiritual and not the material as reality.

During the following months we had proof many times that by adhering to the teaching of one God, or Mind, we were shown the way. When it seemed impossible physically to hear from our son, we did hear in the most unusual ways. Through sources we had never dreamed of we heard that half of his division had been captured. We realized as never before the importance of Mrs. Eddy's writings and were grateful to understand such passages as "Spiritual sense is a conscious, constant capacity to understand God" (Science and Health, p. 209).

Then one morning the news came over the radio that American tanks had liberated the prisoners in the very camp in which our son was imprisoned. We were jubilant, only to have our joy turn to sadness the next day, when the news headlines read "German tanks destroy escaping Americans." This blow seemed insurmountable, and I believed the worst, just as did Jacob in the Bible when he saw the blood-stained coat of Joseph. I turned to my source of help, the Bible and Science and Health, and tried to read, but the words made little sense and it was hard to see through tears. So again I went to the practitioner for help, and I shall never forget the way I was led to the truth. I was calm find at peace again.

As I retired that night, I thought, "Who said I couldn't read?" I reached for a Sentinel on the bedside table and opened it. There before me was an article written by a mother who had gone through a similar experience. I was grateful again for the immediacy of God, for I had found my answer. I turned off the light and was ready to go to sleep. At this point my telephone rang, and the mother of a boy who had been in the prison camp with our son was on the phone. She said her son had escaped to the American lines and wanted us to know that our son was all right and on his way back to the American lines.

I learned from this that God's allness is demonstrated when we replace the mortal concept with the calmness and peace of spiritual understanding.

I knew that there were not two selfhoods. Mrs. Eddy says in  Unity of Good (p. 49), "There are not two realities of being, two opposite states of existence." I knew that our son was spiritual, not material, and with the great help of the practitioner and friends I was able to hold the truth in my consciousness constantly until every vestige of error disappeared.

It was very clear to us that without this wonderful Science of Christ we could not have gone through this ordeal. But we did go through and did not stay in it. The practitioner who expressed understanding and kindness continually gave us the knowledge we needed as the various problems arose. The Wednesday evening testimony meetings in the branch church I attended seemed planned especially for me, and I marveled that the readings from the desk and the hymns each week explicitly answered the questions that weighed so heavily on me.

Our son returned in June, 1945, and not only were we as a family blessed but many thousands of others whose sons had been liberated at the same time were too. Now my prayer is to "hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown" (Rev. 3:11).

(Mrs.) Nina S. Sellers, Cincinnati, Ohio

I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Christian Science for the comfort which was provided for my family during those trying days.

William C. Sellers, Jr., Summit, New Jersey