Article April 18, 2011 Issue

Bible-inspired compassion

A Christian Science nurse with a master's degree in Bible studies shares some thoughts

By Kathleen Collins

Trust the Eternal when the shadows gather,
When joys of daylight seem so like a dream;
God the unchanging pities like a father;
Trust on and wait, the daystar yet shall gleam.

—William P. McKenzie, 
Christian Science Hymnal, Hymn 359

In my work as a Christian Science nurse, I have found the Bible to be a wonderful source of inspiration, rich with examples of the compassion requisite for an effective nursing practice. For me, the two “great commandments”—love God wholeheartedly and love your neighbor as yourself (see Matt. 22:36–40)—sum up the Biblical message of compassion and are the basis of Christian Science nursing. They underscore that loving God first and foremost is the foundation for loving our neighbor. And the Christian Science nurse knows that loving our neighbor begins with love for oneself—not a selfish love, but a heartfelt acknowledgment of God’s love for us, which makes it possible, even necessary, to express that love to our neighbors: “. . . blessed is that man who seeth his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good” (Science and Health, p. 518).