Before I became acquainted with Christian Science, I suffered from spondylitis. I had to remain in a sanatorium an entire year; and after treatment and improvement under the care of a doctor, I received a corset which I was supposed to wear continuously. Sometime later I contracted a lung infection. With the help of a practitioner I was healed of the infection through Christian Science. It was in this way that I was introduced to this religion.

Several years later I became a member of a branch church, because I wished to go more deeply into Science and give evidence of my gratitude for my first healing.

It was a time of great exertion for me, because in addition to performing my professional work, I was building a house. Now I had to work for the church, and added to all this were serious problems in my family.

During this time I thought I noticed more and more distinctly a return of the spondylitis. I had severe pain in my back and a large abscess on one hip.

However, I had no fear of these symptoms, no matter how much difficulty they gave me. Rather, I was firmly convinced that I would be healed of the recurring spondylitis through Science, exactly as I had been healed of the lung infection. Therefore I continued to work unflinchingly at my profession, and I also performed my service to the church as an usher as well as I could. I found comfort and strength in many Bible passages, especially this one (Jer. 17: 14): "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise."

I tried for a long time to treat myself; but when I realized that my own understanding was not yet sufficient, I asked an experienced practitioner for help.

At this time I was called in by the public health office, in whose records I was listed as a former tubercular patient, for a checkup, during which the recurring spondylitis was confirmed. Two X-ray pictures were taken of my back, one in September and one in October, and I was then sent to an orthopedist, who was supposed to take my case.

This specialist studied the two X-ray photographs and found that in the September photograph a distinct spot of disease could be seen on one vertebra, but not in the October photograph. He concluded from this that there had been a mix-up in one of the photos, for in his opinion it was out of the question that a tubercular spot should heal so quickly. In any case, he earnestly advised me to resume the corset that I had in the meanwhile laid aside.

I replied that, as I saw it, it was not necessary to assume there had been some mix-up in the photographs, for this quick healing had obviously been achieved through Christian Science treatment. For this reason I did not wish to wear the corset any more. He resignedly handed the two photographs back to me as an indication that he could do nothing more for this case.

Thanks to Christian Science treatment, the pain continued to lessen; and finally there remained only the lump on my hip, which, however, had become insensitive. The practitioner declared that this too would disappear, for "a spiritual idea has not a single element of error, and this truth removes properly whatever is offensive" (Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy, p. 463). And she was right. In the course of several months this last sign of the disease also gradually diminished. Since then I have again been able to move in any manner and to bend over without experiencing any pain or discomfort whatsoever.

I cannot express my gratitude in words. It obligates me to dedicate to our movement at least a small portion of the energy and health that Christian Science has given back to me, and I am endeavoring to give increasing attention to following the commandments of God and the instructions of Christ Jesus.

Friedrich Lichtenberger
Falkenstein im Taunus, Germany