Article March 30, 2015 Issue

Growing spiritually, not just fixing a problem

Robert MacKusick

I’ve been to many Wednesday evening testimony meetings at branch Churches of Christ, Scientist, where I’ve heard individuals speak about healings they’ve had through Christian Science. Of course, they are grateful for the healing of the illness, suffering, or other problem that had been confronting them. But many times, the testifiers have also shared with the congregations the wonderful spiritual enlightenment and understanding that they had gained as they’d prayerfully addressed the challenge. Turning to God for a greater understanding of what is real, of who we are as His image and likeness, and of His love, revealed through study of the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, is at the forefront of thought.

This approach speaks to a very fundamental question: When we turn to God for healing, what is our primary goal? Is healing just a question of getting rid of something, such as pain, sickness, or lack of any kind? Or is healing about gaining something, such as feeling the comfort of divine Love, growing in our understanding of our relationship to God, and seeing the naturalness of health and the abundance of God’s goodness?

One dictionary defines the word heal this way: to make or become healthy, sound, or whole; to return to a sound state. To me, this very definition of heal indicates something higher than just getting rid of an ailment—something more like a restoration of our true being. And in Christian Science, we learn that wholeness, health, and soundness forever belong to us, God’s perfect image and likeness.

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