A question a friend recently asked about spiritual healing took me back to an experience I had running a hundred-mile race through the mountains. Telling me that he found his spiritual practice helpful with work situations and relationships but medical attention simpler for his health-care needs, my friend asked why I, a Christian Scientist, sought healing through spiritual treatment. It’s a good question, and I addressed it by sharing my ultramarathon experience.

I had been running marathons (26.2 miles, or 42.195 km) for some time, and loved it because of the spiritual growth I experienced along the way—in both the preparation and the actual race. Running four times that far sounded almost impossible, but the idea intrigued me.

I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to understand my relationship to God more clearly.