Editorial February 24, 1997 Issue

Life: the remedy for pain and suffering

Barbara M. Vining

IN the news, there has been a great deal of discussion about whether a patient should be able to have a doctor's assistance in ending seemingly incurable and intolerable pain and suffering by ending his or her life. The premise, of course, is that death stops pain and suffering. But does it? Christ Jesus silenced pain and suffering through his understanding and proof that Life is eternal, and that this Life includes no pain or suffering.

Jesus never said that death was the gateway to the realm of eternal life where there is no suffering. He said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3). Another time, when a lawyer asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life, Jesus drew from him the two central points of spiritual law: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." Then Jesus said, "This do, and thou shalt live" (Luke 10:27, 28). To Jesus, the way to experience the harmony, peace, and health of eternal Life was through spiritual understanding and love, not through death.

Because man is God's image and likeness, as the Bible affirms, you and I are inseparable from Life, which is God; we are Life's spiritual reflection. An understanding of this enables us to prove through healing that God, good, does not send pain and suffering but maintains the perfection of His image. This spiritual sense of Life, entertained and loved within individual thought, heals naturally from within us. It is also preventive. And it can heal instantaneously. But in any case, ever–present, eternal Life provides an effective remedy for the pain and suffering of false, material belief.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Testimony of Healing
"Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou...
February 24, 1997
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit