Article May 21, 1984 Issue

The lad with the loaves and fishes

JEAN B. CREMIDAS

"Mother, Mother, I helped the Master today!" the lad may have shouted when he came home late that evening. How his eyes must have shone when he related how his meal of five loaves and two fishes had fed more than five thousand followers who had come to hear Christ Jesus' words and witness his healings.^{See John 6:1–13 .}

Of course, the Bible is silent on the boy's response to the marvelous things he'd witnessed, but I like to think that something like this occurred. And think how different the results would have been, at least for the lad, if he had not been there on that hillside, if he had not come with something he could contribute.

To me this incident hints that what an individual brings to any situation, as an outcome of his own spiritual dedication, labor, and prayer, is an integral part of each demonstration and healing. There is an old saying, "God helps them that help themselves." And this is true. The way we help ourselves and become better healers is by developing and using our God-given talents. One way to do this is by reading and studying the Bible Lesson from the Christian Science Quarterly, which our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, so lovingly provided for her followers. The truths found in the Bible citations—and enhanced and clarified by correlative passages from her book Science and Health—show us how to apply scientific Christianity to our present needs, be they physical, economic, or concerning human relations.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

The lad with the loaves and fishes

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access