What we have in common

FABIÁN SMARA

IN MY TOWN OF EL BOLSÓN, many people attend Christian churches of different denominations. Though we do not all share the same religious tenets or doctrinal points, I've been trying to focus on the many things that we have in common as children of God.

I work in a Christian Science Reading Room, where I have lots of opportunities to meet people who hold different views about religion. Universal brotherhood is at the center of Christian teachings, and I'm grateful for these opportunities to express fellowship.

Once, two people who were proselytizing for their church entered the Reading Room and asked, "Do you think sickness can be healed?" They handed me some literature and talked about their church. I heard them in silence. Though I disagreed with some of their apocalyptic statements, I was reluctant to contradict them because I felt they were sharing what they believed was best for me.

I silently prayed, asking God to show me what we had in common. Then I asked one of the visitors, "if you visit a home where someone is in pain, what do you have to offer him or her that will instantly bring comfort and healing?"

I knew that their missionary work involved a powerful sense of compassion for others. The tone of the conversation immediately changed, and we began sharing supportive, brotherly ideas with each other. The temptation to remark on our religious differences yielded to a lovely recognition of spiritual unity.

I've spoken with many other evangelical church members who buy their Bibles in the Reading Room. We always spend some time sharing our love for the Bible. Many times these visits have resulted in spontaneously sharing stories of healing. I feel those moments are sacred, because an inner sense of the real meaning of Church can be felt—the sense of Christ with us. As Jesus said, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20).

I've often found that visitors to the Reading Room express divine ideas that bless both them and me. For example, a greengrocer comes every Wednesday to offer his vegetables and fruits, and, knowing that I have been praying, he always asks, "What's the idea for today?" I share Christian Science concepts with him, and he always enthusiastically shares with me a relevant Bible passage.

The Herald of Christian Science, Spanish broadcast edition, is widely heard by people from other Christian denominations in my community. It is a way to show the treasures to be found in the Scriptures we all love, and the way Christian Scientists are practicing Jesus' teaching today.

Let's go and enjoy together the great adventure of discovering our common Father-Mother God!

—FABIÁN SMARA

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