Article April 7, 2008 Issue

'ASK YOURSELF...'

BY BOB CLARK

Recently I've been learning how to ask myself hard questions. It began when I first discovered www.mybiblelesson.com. A recurring feature of this website encourages readers of the Christian Science Bible Lesson to ask themselves questions as they study the Bible together with the Christian Science textbook. In fact one of my favorite passages from this textbook, Science and Health, strongly encourages self-questioning: "Ask yourself: Am I living the life that approaches the supreme good? Am I demonstrating the healing power of Truth and Love?" (p. 496).

Since the marginal note at that point in the book reads, "Condition of progress," these two questions and their answers take on a sense of urgency for anyone serious about making spiritual progress or learning about spiritual healing.

It would be hard to think of a more valuable life-skill than learning to ask the right questions. Some of the world's greatest teachers—Jesus, Socrates, and Plato—often taught by asking students hard questions. Today, parents and successful school and Sunday School teachers glow when children and students ask good, hard questions. Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered and founded Christian Science, based the Primary course of instruction in Christian Science healing on the 24 questions that make up the "Recapitulation" chapter in Science and Health.