Article January 23, 1984 Issue

You don't need to suffer

MARGARET COLEMAN BROWN

"If God loves me, as you say He does, why is He making me suffer so? What have I done to make Him punish me this way?" These questions were put to a Christian Science practitioner by one who was lying on a bed of pain, seeking help for the first time through Christian Science treatment. The practitioner, with compassion, said quietly, "God is Love. He doesn't know anything about suffering. You are suffering from false belief."

To one lacking the understanding that God and His ideas alone are real, such a statement may seem ludicrous. But to someone turning to Christian Science for healing, just this glimpse of the magnitude of God's love for His idea, man, can be enough to set him free.

The practitioner was listening to God for guidance, and what she said to the patient proved to be exactly what was needed. For a moment the patient appeared shocked. Then her facial expression softened, and in great humility she looked up through her tears, smiled, and said, "Of course. Love does not afflict."

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