Article June 4, 2018 Issue

‘By my God have I leaped over a wall’

Frederick James Campbell

Have you ever faced a seemingly impossible task? Once, during military service as a young musician in the Life Guards—the senior regiment of the British Army—I found myself being disciplined because of the foolish actions of some other soldiers nearby. We were all spectators of a cross-country run, but a few guys started playing around on the nearby “Queen Mary”—an obstacle part of the large assault course at the Guard’s Depot that involved rope-swinging over a huge concrete basin full of sludge. Their actions were observed by a noncommissioned officer, who, on reporting to the commandant, was given permission to “round up” all within the vicinity—including me as an innocent bystander—and take us on a five-mile run, followed by the full assault course.

Now, I was no athlete—had always been described in the gym at school as having “two left feet”—and such training was not part of the curriculum for junior musicians in the army. However, as a new student of Christian Science, I had begun to read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, and I was learning that through Christ, Truth, I could overcome any difficult situation that came my way. So, rather than nursing any resentment, I chose instead to rely on my God-given abilities, so that I could perform this feat if it was my duty to do it. Christ Jesus said, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

I had expressed dominion in learning to march up to the Brigade of Guards standard—not a straightforward task by any means—so I knew God would take me all the way in this situation too. I also knew that the one God is infinite Mind, which means that we all “live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28) in this one divine Mind, and that an understanding of this oneness of God and man could bring dominion in all things.

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