Article June 8, 2020 Issue

The love that dissolves controversy

Susan Angle Damone

Our family cottage was a retreat from the commitments of everyday life. There was no television or internet. For many years there was not even a telephone. Surrounded by the peace of nature and the beauty of the lake, it was a haven for our family. My mother and her sister and their spouses endeavored to maintain an atmosphere of harmony there, and as Christian Scientists, they would naturally include everyone in the family in their prayers.

One evening, that harmony was tested during a visit by a relative whom we did not often see. Quickly, the conversation moved to politics, as she took center stage in the living room and in a loud voice made some incendiary remarks. She was known to be controversial, and she seemed to enjoy stirring things up and instructing people in her point of view.

Through Christ Jesus’ teachings we begin to understand what it means to truly love God and our neighbor.