Salvation for everyone

My dad introduced us to Christian Science when I was ten years old. Both of Dad’s parents were Christian Scientists, and his grandmother was a practitioner, listed in The Christian Science Journal starting in 1926. Earlier, Dad had drifted away from Science—from churches altogether, it seemed—so Mom had been taking us to church services of another denomination. But when Christian Science helped Dad gain employment and healed long-standing recurring headaches, the whole family began attending the local Christian Science church.

I can honestly say that Christian Science made absolute sense to me. I remember asking my Sunday School teacher in the other Protestant church about salvation of the “ignorant masses,” and received this less-than-promising answer: “If they don’t know and accept
Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, they must end up in hell.” That answer did not sit well with my sense of justice. But when Dad rediscovered Christian Science, my siblings and I were allowed to attend both churches. The services were held at different times, so we first attended one Sunday School, then rushed across town to the Christian Science church.

The answer to my salvation question was right there in the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy: Salvation is for all God’s children—right now, in fact!

I made the “two Sunday Schools” trip only two more times after this—I knew I had found the answer to my question, and to many more. My family began reading the Christian Science Bible Lessons regularly, and I found that all my physical and emotional needs were being met.

Years later, when I was on my own, attending college in another country, I had a fall from my bike. A neighbor’s uncle, a military physician, saw me as I walked back home and insisted on taking me to a clinic, where he was known, and where I was given stitches. It was late Wednesday afternoon by the time I was released, and since I was about halfway to the local Christian Science church already, I got on a bus and went to the testimony meeting. There I can remember standing up and simply expressing gratitude for being at the service, perhaps one of my first times doing so. The stitches were removed a few days afterward, and I remember the medical attendant expressed surprise at how quickly and easily they came out. 

Later, I was given the opportunity to prepare readings for the Christian Science organization on campus. I had never done that before, and I became apprehensive about my ability to speak in public. Almost immediately, I experienced a sore throat. But I recognized the mental nature of the symptoms, and knew that the fear of public speaking could be conquered. I thought of what Moses had said to God about being of slow speech, and of God’s answer to him: “Who hath made man’s mouth?” (Exodus 4:11 ). I answered for myself that God has made man perfect, fully able to do what He has given each of us to do. The sore throat disappeared. I prepared the readings, and all went well.

Many healings later, I have served in two different Christian Science branch churches as Second Reader, in an additional four branches as a Sunday School teacher, and in other church work. The way is ever onward and upward. These days, my goal is to study Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy during every possible moment because learning more about God is the most important business I can imagine.