One day a few years ago, I was moving a cement planter from the front porch to the garage, and suddenly felt something tear in my back. I dropped the planter and it broke. I fell to the ground and, barely able to get up, I called my wife for assistance. She helped me into the house. 

We called a Christian Science practitioner to pray for me. She turned me to these words from Science and Health: “Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts” (p. 261). That’s what I needed to hear. 

It had not been a good month for me. I’d been feeling slighted and hurt by friends and family members who were upset with me. I felt on the defensive and wanted to find my peace. My thought had been consumed with feelings of self-pity, and now I was being asked to think of something higher than my own hurt feelings (and hurt back). I was asked to turn my thought to God. I recognized that the self-importance, self-pity, and feeling victimized needed to be healed, as well as the back pain and immobility.

I knew I could turn to God’s great love for answers to these troubles. They would come through a greater spiritualization in my thinking. I wasn’t alone in coming to this conclusion. The Bible is full of accounts about people who found God’s love to be an absolute and healing power. I spent many hours the next week just thinking about different Bible characters and what they learned about divine Love. You can almost hear the joy with which the prophet Jeremiah proclaimed, “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jer. 31:3). This love of God includes all—no one could ever be excluded from this everlasting Love. 

And the Apostle Paul wrote, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38, 39). No circumstance can ever separate us from divine Love.

No one knew God’s love better than Christ Jesus. He proved that it not only comforts and consoles, but it heals. In one of his most endearing moments, Jesus met a man who had been blind since birth. His disciples tried to get Jesus to attach blame for this birth defect. They asked him if the parents were at fault or the suffering man. Jesus refused to argue one way or the other. He would not allow himself to get involved in the dramatics of blame and speculation. Instead, he said, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3). Then he healed the man’s congenital blindness. 

Time and again, Jesus proved that the love of God was sufficient and powerful enough to heal even the most ingrained illness. He knew divine Love was strong enough to break through any hopelessness or fear. Jesus had a deeper remedy than a rhetorical blame game, or even a psychological analysis as to this man’s condition. His cure for sickness was found in the love of God.

Mary Baker Eddy discovered the Christ-cure for disease in the study of the Bible. And she spoke from her own experience when she wrote, “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (Science and Health, p. 494). No matter what we are facing—illness, accident, financial difficulties, lack of friends—as we acknowledge the presence of God and His love, we will feel its comforting action wipe away feelings of loneliness or inadequacy. 

It became clear to me that, following Jesus’ example, I could turn away from all thoughts of “who said what,” “how I feel,” or any anger or fear. In my prayer, I turned to the great heart of God. There we find our hearts being purified, and physical ills healed. That is the wonderful touch of divine Love. 

It became clear to me that, following Jesus’ example, I could turn away from all thoughts of “who said what”, “how I feel”, or any anger or fear.

The day after the accident with my back, I had a very important presentation to give, which included much standing and sitting. Although it seemed virtually impossible even to be there, let alone stand and sit, I decided to lean on God’s love. As I prayed to feel God’s control over me and this situation, I found that I was able to move around more easily. I acknowledged God’s presence and power. I knew I was His child, His expression. I also knew His strength would support me. I felt the wonder and joy of His love, as I thought less of myself and more of God and the people at this event. I realized my job there was to be a beacon of God’s love. It was important for me to express happiness, joy, and kindness. I was able to stand and give my presentation without difficulty. 

In the next few days, as I continued to pray, I had a complete and quick healing of my back, with no painful recurrence in the years since this experience. (I have lifted the other cement planters on my porch many times each spring and fall, and have been able to do so easily.)

My thinking has had a good overhaul also. I am learning the importance and strength of humility—that the resolution of relationship problems does not come through argument but rather through humble prayer. Dominion truly does come from meekness. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). Much healing took place. Friendships were renewed, and the back-stabbing ceased. Not long after this, opportunities opened for me to be of service in organizations I loved. 

Divine Love is unrestricted. It reaches into the deepest, darkest places of human consciousness. God’s love can neutralize any hold of evil. Despair, discouragement, any sense of incompleteness, is dispelled by the completeness of divine Love. Although we may feel trapped by unhappy ways, years of habit, or abusive situations, divine Love is always present to unloosen those trappings of materiality. Consciousness opens to the recognition of one’s value, dignity, and grace as the very child of Love. This divine affection separates us from egotism and self-importance, and keeps us safe in spiritual self-esteem and worth. No matter what we have done, we are still worthy of God’s healing love. We cannot go out of the reach of this Love. Science and Health puts it this way: “ ‘God is Love.’ More than this we cannot ask, higher we cannot look, farther we cannot go” (p. 6). God’s love brings redemption, lessons learned, and pride humbled. 

Yielding to this powerful and present Love changes lives. It brings with it health, contentment, and peace. Illness, sin, inharmonious relationships, and the effects of accidents are all healed. We can then happily proclaim, “Nothing can separate me (or anyone) from the love of God.” God’s love heals.