Normal heart function restored
Several years ago, my heart began to function abnormally, and my circulation seemed to be affected also. That week I served as substitute First Reader for the Wednesday evening service at the branch Church of Christ, Scientist, where I am a member. I used that as an opportunity to prepare and deliver readings from the Bible and Mary Baker Eddy’s book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures on the subject of “heart.”
After I got home from the service, I prayed with the intention of being healed that night. I began by addressing the leading fear, which was that I might die. Jesus’ words rebuking Peter came to thought: “Get thee behind me, Satan: … for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Matthew 16:23 ). These words also rebuked my fear; I had to put it behind me, to reject it completely. I saw that I live in Spirit and that death is not a concern of eternal Life, God. So I didn’t need to fear it either.
My thought was lifted up, and I turned on the error, which had brought such suffering, seeing it as a “bald imposition” (Science and Health, p. 99 ) that had no part in me.
Then it was as if Truth began a dialogue with error.
Truth demanded: “Error, where is your proof of this fearful condition?”
Error indicated that the proof was in the mortal sense of the body.
Truth replied: “That’s no proof, error; you are witness to your own self. Where is your proof?”
In response, error repeated the same evidence, which was again dismissed by Truth.
As this was going on, I recalled that in Christian Science the material body is the subjective state of error, or mortal mind, not a separate entity. As Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health, “… the dreamer and dream are one, for neither is true nor real” (p. 530 ).
The question, “What am I afraid of?” was annulled by Truth’s rejection of error’s claim to reality. Inspired thoughts poured into my consciousness with Christlike authority and clarity. They declared that God is omnipotent and this spiritual fact leaves no place for error’s claim to exist. Each declaration of Truth against error thundered with authority. Each one of
error’s arguments was reversed.
From this experience, it would appear that good and evil, Truth and error, talk to each other. In Unity of Good, Mary Baker Eddy explains this phenomenon: “If we observe our mental processes, we shall find that we are perpetually arguing with ourselves; yet each mortal is not two personalities, but one.
“In like manner good and evil talk to one another; yet they are not two but one, for evil is naught, and good only is reality” (p. 21 ).
At some point, I felt a sense of peace that Truth had triumphed. I declared that nothing could reverse what God has revealed and fell asleep.
When I awoke, I realized that healing had occurred. The symptoms have not returned. Initially, I thought my prayer alone had brought about the change. Later, I realized that I had experienced the clarity and power of Christ, the divine message of God’s love for man. In Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Mrs. Eddy states: “… the universal law of God … enters unconsciously the human heart and governs it” (p. 208 ).
Regardless of the specific difficulty we may face, angelic thoughts are able indeed to eliminate error and guide us to healing.
John A. Belote
Cypress, California, US
