Article September 12, 2011 Issue

Saved from financial ruin

Lessons in humility

By Randy Erwin

While there is no formula for quick and effective healing, Mary Baker Eddy in her defining book, Science and Health, is very clear that a spiritual impulse of thought precedes any complete and permanent healing. She writes, “In healing the sick and sinning, Jesus elaborated the fact that the healing effect followed the understanding of the divine Principle . . . ” (p. 141). 

Forward progress stems from a shift in consciousness that begins with identifying and removing a false concept of man in his relationship to God. Getting to the root cause of the mental misconception that appears in the human experience as “a problem” can be fundamentally one of the most challenging parts of this work because of the deceptive nature of mortal mind. While it is always tempting to pray for the healing of a physical or circumstantial problem in the human realm, ultimately, it’s vitally important to recognize the visible condition as a projection of an erroneous concept held in thought. A Bible story that clearly illustrates this point is found in Second Kings 5:1–15. 

Naaman, a great and honorable captain of the army of Syria, suffered from leprosy. He heard through his wife’s maid of a prophet that could heal him of his disease. So he went to Elisha’s home to be healed. But instead of coming out and laying his hands on him or asking him to make a personal sacrifice, Elisha sent out a messenger to tell him to go wash himself in the Jordan River. Naaman was outraged, thinking it was beneath him to do this, and he refused. But his servants, who evidently loved their master, challenged him on his thinking. He ultimately saw his error and did as the prophet had asked, resulting in his immediate healing.