Editorial January 10, 1976 Issue

Never Shut Out from Good

Peter J. Henniker-Heaton

No door can shut us out from the presence of God, infinite good. No locks or bolts can prevent us from reaching the healing and saving Christ; nor can any of these prevent the healing and saving Christ from reaching us. Call the door advanced years, long established disease, missed opportunity or misunderstanding, lack of formal education, prejudice, discrimination—none of these can withstand the penetrating, liberating message of the Christ or keep us separated from divine Love, God.

The gospel record of Christ Jesus tells us much about his healing methods. It also tells us much about those who sought him out for healing, their persistence, their refusal to be discouraged, even their ingenuity. The centurion who would not let distance block his servant's healing. The blind man who would not be silenced until Jesus heard and called and healed him. The Syrophoenician woman who would not let nationality prevent her daughter being healed. The palsied man whose friends let him down through the roof so he could get to Jesus for healing. In one of his parables Jesus directly commended such importunity. "Knock," he said, "and it shall be opened unto you."^{ Luke 11:9;}

Nothing can prevent us from reaching the Christ's healing presence. We, too, can refuse to be put off by doors apparently closed, crowded by people, or labeled "No admittance." We, too, can knock and find these doors opened to us. Attempts to shut us out are but illusions of a supposed intelligence apart from the divine Mind, God. They have neither substance nor reality. In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mrs. Eddy twice quotes these words from the book of Revelation: "I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it."^{ Rev. 3:8;}