After completing my regular weekly assignment...

After completing my regular weekly assignment of distributing Christian Science literature on Friday evening to inmates of a penal institution in a large city, and talking with some of the inmates about Christian Science, I left the prison. To get the subway home, I had to walk through poorly lighted streets in a section of the city where there are a number of liquor taverns. As I was walking through one of these streets, a tall, large man, apparently under the influence of liquor, rushed up to me, accused me irrationally and began a physical assault on me, at the same time pushing me backward toward an iron-spiked fence. At first I attempted to defend myself physically, but because of the superior height and physical strength of my opponent I soon realized I was no match for him.

At this point I turned to God for the solution to this problem, and was prompted to rely entirely on metaphysical means in Christian Science for my defense. I loudly and firmly told this man of his relationship to God, that he and I were spiritual ideas of God, reflecting divine Love, and therefore could not be enemies, that both of us were sons of the one Father-Mother God and under the government of divine Mind. As I continued declaring these truths, my adversary ceased his attack, became calm, apologized for his actions, and extended his hand in fellowship, which I of course accepted. This experience was a clear proof to me of the truth of Paul's statement that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God" (II Cor. 10:4, 5).

For some time I had felt a pain in my back but had ignored it, thinking it would disappear. Instead it grew in intensity and over a greater area, so much so that it became increasingly difficult for me to walk. I did earnest work in Christian Science to overcome this condition and had treatment at times from a Christian Science practitioner, but the problem remained. At the end of about two months I became quite discouraged and accepted the suggestion that if I could ascertain the specific name of the disease I would be in a better position to destroy the error through prayer in Christian Science. I indulged in a considerable amount of self-diagnosis with completely negative results, until my attention was arrested by the following statement by Mrs. Eddy: "You must find error to be nothing: then, and only then, do you handle it in Science" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 334). This statement awakened me to see that the only thing I had to know about this physical disability was its utter nothingness. I turned my thought to God, divine Mind, and for the better part of one hour steadfastly and persistently declared both audibly and silently my sonship with God, Spirit. I declared all the truths I could think of until I spiritually understood that matter can make no conditions for man, since man is spiritual and under the government and control of Truth and Love. As the result of this prayerful work I was healed completely.