Article December 28, 2009 Issue

LOVE FOR ALL, INCLUDING DAD

Sentinel Radio's Rita Polatin talks with Christian Science practitioner Emily Byquist about how God's promise to "make all things new" played out in her life.

RITA POLATIN: Emily, with the new year right around the corner, I think many people are thinking about starting over. I know you had an experience that was very pivotal in being able to do something new, being able to do something better than you did before. Can you take us back to that moment?

EMILY BYQUIST: I would love to. I was a fairly new student in Christian Science, and I was studying the weekly Christian Science Bible Lesson, which consists of passages from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. The subject that week was "Love," and I remember just sitting by myself, reading the Lesson, and thinking, "Oh, God is Love—how great is that!" I was just feeling how much I loved everyone, pondering that, and almost feeling proud that I had love for everyone.

On the heels of that, someone came to thought whom I realized I did not love at all, and I was so taken aback. That individual was my dad. We had not been in touch for many years because of a difficult family situation. I hadn't really thought about him, but at that moment, I realized I didn't love him.