Once I was working as an editor with a writer who despaired over the prospect of naming the title of a book in an article he was writing. He didn’t want to encourage anyone to read that book. In almost the same breath, though, he sighed with relief and said: “Wait a minute. There’s nothing to worry about. People don’t read anymore!”

While his ironic comment may not be entirely factual—surveys have shown that owners of an e-reader, for instance, are likely to read more rather than less—still, I understood his sentiment. I’ve noticed for myself that I tend to be far more inclined these days to watch a television show, or play a game on my smartphone or tablet, or stay tuned in to the latest posts on social media, than I am to read a book. Not that I dislike reading; but I tend to be more interested in staying plugged in to the latest developments of the digital age. 

For Christian Scientists, it is well worth giving thought to how this societal shift—with people spending more time in front of screens than ever before (often multiple screens at once), and perhaps finding it challenging to stay focused when reading—may be impacting us, possibly in a detrimental way. The practice of Christian Science requires one to be far more than an avid reader. To successfully and consistently practice Christian Science—to heal ourselves and others—we must be serious students of the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy—two books that make big demands on the reader.

Our engagement with these books is key to finding healing.

These are not books for us to read lightly or flip through once and set aside for good. Science and Health itself tells us: “Although this volume contains the complete Science of Mind-healing, never believe that you can absorb the whole meaning of the Science by a simple perusal of this book. The book needs to be studied, and the demonstration of the rules of scientific healing will plant you firmly on the spiritual groundwork of Christian Science” (p. 147). And in the Bible we read Christ Jesus’ words, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).

Our engagement with these books is key to finding healing, because healing comes as we gain spiritual understanding and the spirit of love that develops within us as we read and put these precious teachings into practice. If we feel unmotivated to delve deeply into these books, we owe it to ourselves to challenge that feeling—not by just forcing ourselves to turn the pages, but by honestly recognizing that it’s natural for us to be drawn to the spiritual truths these books teach. The most natural thing in the world is for us to constantly nurture and cherish our spiritual understanding of the basic truth of our relationship to God as His child, His very own image, held forever close in His loving embrace.

Any feeling of reluctance to read the Bible and Science and Health is unnatural, since it doesn’t come from God. It is, at its core, the work of what the Bible describes as “the carnal mind,” which is “enmity against God” (Romans 8:7), trying to keep us from doing the reading and studying that would help us progress spiritually, and from finding healing as a result.

On a number of occasions I have sat down to read either the Bible or Science and Health and, minutes later, have found myself tempted to watch a movie or TV show or scroll through social media instead. A few times I have caught myself justifying this temptation with the thought that the Bible and Science and Health are “old” books that don’t speak to me anymore! And yet, whenever I’ve sat down and read from them, I’ve found them to be far more contemporary, thrilling, and life-changing than my assumptions had led me to believe. 

For example, recently I was reading through the chapter in Science and Health titled “Christian Science versus Spiritualism.” I must confess that at first I thought this chapter applied more to 19th-century America than to my life today. But as I read, I was surprised to see how much this chapter actually resonated with me.

The chapter explains that underlying the practice of spiritualism—in which a person, or medium, is thought to be able to communicate with the spirits of the dead—is the belief that Spirit, God, is made manifest through material personalities, or spirits. While spiritualism is not much of a thing anymore, at least not nearly to the degree that it was when Science and Health was written, as I read this chapter I thought about how prevalent in our world today remains this spiritualistic belief that Spirit is made manifest in or through matter. The chapter exposes not only the falsity of spiritualism but also the falsity of the belief that matter is intelligent and that it has power to communicate with us—for instance, that a material body has the ability to tell us that it is sick or healthy. This chapter shows logically that in reality matter is powerless to communicate because it is unintelligent, and all real communication comes directly from God, Spirit, to man, God’s spiritual idea. 

This communication from God to us is always tender, uplifting, and immediate—far more thrilling than any email, text, or online message we might receive. It is God’s truth being revealed directly to our consciousness, reminding us of our spiritual nature and that we are God’s expression of His beautiful qualities, including love, purity, innocence, and holiness. I appreciate the Internet and my smartphone as much as anyone else, but the communication from God to man is what fulfills us more than anything else can, because it heals us when we are open to the message and live it in our lives. 

These books are meant to be read, pondered, and pored over.

The world today is calling out for healing on almost an unprecedented level. This cry makes “Christian Science versus Spiritualism,” along with all the other chapters in Science and Health, extremely relevant and urgent. This chapter—and the whole book—is full of arresting statements showing how healing is possible through Christian Science. It does this not only by showing us what Christian Science is but also by exposing what is not true, such as the beliefs connected with spiritualism. Take the following passage as just one example: “All we correctly know of Spirit comes from God, divine Principle, and is learned through Christ and Christian Science. If this Science has been thoroughly learned and properly digested, we can know the truth more accurately than the astronomer can read the stars or calculate an eclipse” (pp. 84–85). 

The promise of such a statement should inspire us all to engage with Science and Health, together with the Bible, to “know the truth” and prove it in our world. Opening these books with a receptive, honest heart brings us constant and new realizations about God, man, and the nature of existence—satisfying our search for truth, illuminating spiritual reality, and revealing the ultimate unreality of material existence. These books speak to the very heart of who we are as children of God, as spiritual ideas of the one Mind. They show that divine Love is real and true, loving us and expressing this love in us; and as we read them, we begin to feel this love more fully and to express it toward others. The more we read—and practice what we are learning—the more our thought is transformed spiritually, and we are enabled to understand and demonstrate our true spiritual nature. This spiritual transformation brings healing and resolution to whatever may be troubling us.

It is natural to want to keep coming back to the Bible and Mrs. Eddy’s writings, even if on first read the ideas seem difficult to understand. If we struggle to grasp their meaning, we shouldn’t put the books down but should take that as an invitation to dig deeper. These books are meant to be read, pondered, and pored over every day, throughout our lives. Such a prospect shouldn’t feel boring or burdensome, but just the opposite: It should make us motivated and animated for a lifetime of spiritual discovery, adventure, and healing.

We can treasure these books as the best of friends, pointing the way to a better understanding and demonstration of God and the kingdom of heaven. What better, more powerful books could there be?