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The healing power of hymns
All my life I have gained comfort and inspiration from music, especially the hymns from church services. When I wake up, a line from a hymn is often my first conscious thought. As a child I attended the Methodist Sunday School, and one of my favorite hymns was called “In the Garden.” The line “And He walks with me and He talks with me / And He tells me I am His own” brought great comfort as I was growing up (C. Austin Miles, 1912).
Since becoming a student of Christian Science, the last line of “The Old Rugged Cross” from the Methodist Hymnal has new meaning to me. “I will cling to the old rugged cross, / And exchange it someday for a crown” (George Bennard, 1913). I have learned that we daily “take up the cross” by turning away from sin and materialism, and deepening the understanding of our relationship to God. We are rewarded for our work each day with that glorious crown—the promise of the healing Christ. In fact, Mary Baker Eddy established the cross and crown as the prominent symbol representing her writings.
Mrs. Eddy tells us in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “Whatever inspires with wisdom, Truth, or Love—be it song, sermon, or Science—blesses the human family with crumbs of comfort from Christ’s table, feeding the hungry and giving living waters to the thirsty” (p. 234). I’ve found that Christian Science hymns are not only beautiful and comforting—they carry spiritual sustenance and powerful healing messages that are accessible to everyone.
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