Article May 15, 2006 Issue

Next in our biweekly series on how people have nurtured their public practice of Christian Science.

ANYONE CAN BE A HEALER

HOLY WORK

DIMITRI ZAHOS—Athens, Greece

When I was 16 , a wonderful lady, who was a Christian Scientist, handed me the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I was in high school at that time, and we were studying Greek philosophy.

I had been struck by the idea in Plato's book Timoeus that matter is "no thing." And I had been inspired by the teachings of the Greek mystics, who served at the temple of Apollo in Epidaure, where the well-known motto, "Know Thyself," was written on top of the main entrance. To me that was a reminder that we should acknowledge our innate spirituality. So when I started reading Science and Health, I was able to accept immediately its explanations about man and the universe as being spiritual and good, created by a perfect God.

I was raised in a family that lived Christian values. We valued integrity and unselfish love for our neighbor. And I felt especially close to the Apostle Paul, who had preached to people right here in Athens on Mars' Hill. Paul told them that "THE UNKNOWN GOD," whom they"ignorantly worship," was the life-giving Eternal One, who was "not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:23, 27, 28). Together with the Bible, Science and Health taught me to know this God and to know myself better. And since then, the book has been my lifetime companion. For 45 years now, it has given me strength and support throughout my school years and my career, helped me overcome many difficult circumstances, and led me to a healing vocation.

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