Article June 22, 1981 Issue

Healing through spiritual means

BRYAN G. POPE

Many have heard that healing takes place in Christian Science, but few know how it is accomplished. Understandably, it may be hard to believe that healing through spiritual means alone is as possible now as in Christ Jesus' day. Most people are so uncertain as to their prospects of eternal life and so used to looking to material means for health that it takes quite an effort to look in another direction. For them Christian Science has the most tender, helpful counsel.

Consider Christ Jesus. He never used drugs or relied on other physical methods, yet his success rate has never been equaled by material means of healing. Interestingly, however, before he ascended, his first command, among his final instructions to his followers, was not to heal the sick but to preach the gospel.^{See Mark 16:15, 17, 18.} Healing came second, as an aftereffect of the "good news," just as, to destroy darkness, light is what is first needed. Emphasizing this primary purpose, Christ Jesus said, "Labour not for the which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you."^{John 6:27.}

At best, using material means to heal a mortal body can achieve little more than the temporary adjustment of thought from sickness to health. No material method touches the deeper question everyone faces and that so troubles the heart: "Is my existence limited to my body?"

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