Article March 16, 1981 Issue

"Be not afraid"

GEORGE MILLAR

Put pressure on a rubber ball, and it becomes taut and out of shape. Release the pressure, and the ball springs back to its original form.

Fear affects the human body in much the same way. When thought is filled with fear, the body tends to become taut and "out of shape." Inflammation, swelling, and other discordant conditions may appear. When we give up the fear, the body relaxes again, and normal conditions are reestablished.

Mrs. Eddy recognized the importance of overcoming fear and its effects on the body. In the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, she gives many clear directives for handling it. In the chapter "Christian Science Practice," the opening paragraph of the section "Mental Treatment Illustrated" includes the following arresting statement: "Christian scientific practice begins with Christ's keynote of harmony, 'Be not afraid!'"^{Science and Health, p. 410.} That chapter shows the reader how not to be afraid, why he does not need to be afraid, and how to overcome the deleterious effects of fear.

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