Article November 28, 2005 Issue

ONE GOD AVAILABLE TO ALL

BY ANTONIO GONGA

"COMFORT YE , comfort ye my people, saith your God" (Isa. 40:1). This Bible verse has always been my source of inspiration in my practice of Christian Science. When I looked up the verb practice in the dictionary, I found the definition "to exercise, to say, to pronounce, to converse." Therefore, I often ask myself, How can I comfort God's people and alleviate their hurts, or give them something that nourishes the heart? What can I say to those who need help?

We are all instruments of God, which means that our ability to comfort and heal permanently doesn't depend on us, but on what governs us—on divine Love. As a practitioner of Christian Science, I consider myself a servant of God, carrying the message He puts on my lips to comfort His people. My great responsibility is to be where people can find me, and to carry out my mission of healing like a violinist who plays his instrument wherever he is, when there is someone willing to hear his music. The sound that comes from the violin doesn't depend solely on the instrument, but also on the one who plays it, and on the inspiration with which the violinist feels the music. In the same way, the practitioner is not the source of divine Love, but seeks Love's inspiration through prayer, in order to heal those who ask for his help.

One thing that sometimes causes concern in people who want to enter the public practice of Christian Science is the question of supply—whether they will have enough to live on. However, as I studied Christian Science, I began to understand that God is good; therefore, the universe is the sum total of good and there is an infinite supply of good within it. I've been in the public practice of Christian Science for many years now, and I pray constantly that the African countries facing misery and malnutrition can, at least in part, demonstrate this infinite goodness. There is a fountain that gushes continuously, giving its supply to all those who turn to it. This fountain is the fruit of divine Love itself; it's open to all nations and to all people. The life of each of us is determined by God, and He meets all our needs. As I have prayed this way, I have felt at peace.

About the author

Antonio Gonga is a Christian Science practitioner living in Luanda, Angola. Antonio and his wife have raised seven children, the oldest of whom was 14 when Antonio started his full-time practice.

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