Believing in God was never a problem for me. But I knew I needed a clearer understanding. A relative mentioned two words, Christian and Science, together, which made perfect sense to me, as it has to countless people. 

I was a teenager when I first visited a Christian Science Reading Room to learn about metaphysical healing. While I was there, I found books and magazines about current healings, and I became curious about Christian Scientists themselves. I eventually discovered that they come from all walks of life and comprise a diverse global community. Through my exploration of spiritual healing, I also learned to think of God as “impartial and universal” Love (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 13).

Seeing several large volumes on the shelves, I asked the Reading Room librarian if I could look through them to learn how Christian Science heals. She explained that they held past issues of Christian Science magazines with articles and testimonies relating thousands of verified healings of all kinds. These accounts spanned many, many decades, and a number of the healings had been confirmed by medical doctors. She said I was welcome to search through these volumes. Then she pointed me to the best starting point—the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, which is based solely on the Bible, especially the teachings of Christ Jesus.