Editorial October 27, 1997 Issue

Open-minded, convinced, healed

Russ Gerber

There's a vivid account from the Bible that's rich with lessons on Christian healing. It's that of a man who was blind from birth, but who was cured of the blindness following an encounter with Christ Jesus (you'll find it in the Gospel of John, chapter 9). In reading the account—noting the man's openness to what Jesus had to say, his total willingness to follow the Master's instruction, and his trust in Jesus despite the interrogation, opposition, and revilement that followed this healing—we can easily identify some good qualities in this man. Especially his unbiased thought, open and humble.

That's significant. In this age, Christ still voices God's healing and saving message to humanity. And today, unbiased thought is still sincerely willing to listen to Christ's teachings to learn the nature of God and to discover man's true nature as God's image and likeness. When thought is willing to know and obey the laws that are operating in a universe made by an all-good God, we benefit from the operation of these laws. "The unbiased Christian thought is soonest touched by Truth, and convinced of it," writes Mary Baker Eddy in the Preface to Science and Health.

Still, in the case in John's Gospel there were other voices trying to persuade the man whom Jesus had cured of blindness. They questioned the fact that the healing took place; they disputed the ability of Jesus to heal, saying he was a sinner; they reviled the man for speaking favorably of the Master. When Jesus heard that these things had been said, he went and found the man. Then an interesting conversation took place between the two of them. Jesus asked him, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" The man asked, "Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?" Jesus replied, "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee." The man then affirmed that he believed.

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