The Guidebook

Elinor N. Carter

Supper was nearly ready, and appetizing smells were rising up the stairs to Philip's study-bedroom, where he was hard at work preparing for his school-leaving examinations. His door opened, and the hungry teen-ager hurtled down and stood at my shoulder, sniffing appreciatively as I stirred at the stove. We shared a school, he a student, I a teacher, and we knew each other well.

At moments like these we often got below the surface of things. That night, out of the blue, he said, "You know, I can't see why people keep thrusting the Bible at us. It doesn't mean a thing to me."

And all I said then was, "Maybe not, but it certainly means a great deal to very many. It has done much to help me, for one, over the years, as I've studied it and worked with what it teaches."

We were living in the hills of England's Lake District, and Philip is an enthusiastic rock-climber. The next morning at breakfast I said to him, "Philip, if a friend just starting out to climb here in these mountains asked you for advice, what guidebook would you recommend?"

He instantly named a famous one, and I asked if the learner would really need it. "Oh, yes, it's absolutely essential—it's the only one to give him. It's really good."

"Why is it so good?"

"Because the writer really knows the climbs—he's been over every inch of the hills."

"Would you hesitate to give it to him?"

"Of course not—he must have it."

"You know, Philip, that's just how some of us feel about the Bible."

He grinned.

One evening not long afterward, Philip came limping in, having sprained his ankle on the way home. It was still painful next morning, and over breakfast we discussed one or two ideas from my "guidebook," the Bible, and in particular the statement, "I will walk in mine integrity."^{Ps. 26:11;} The thought was presented that health is a spiritual quality, just as is integrity, and is just as unassailable. We went off to school by car, Philip still limping, but as we neared our destination he said, "Suddenly, it's all right!" And it was. He jumped out of the car, completely healed.

A guidebook is no theoretical treatise. It is used "on the ground." It shows safe routes proved by experience, it warns of pitfalls, it lays down basic guidelines for traverse and ascent.

Why does the Bible mean so much to the serious student of Christian Science that he may wear out a copy every four or five years? Because Christian Science is rooted in biblical teachings. The first tenet of this Science is, in the words of Mrs. Eddy, "As adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life."^{Science and Health, p. 497;} In the light of Christian Science, the Bible, some of which may before have seemed obscure, irrelevant, and even contradictory, is found to form a coherent whole. The Christian Scientist finds that the Bible is not an almost closed book, but a document that transforms his days.

Whether he knew little or much of the Bible before finding Christian Science, the thoughtful individual soon becomes a dedicated daily Bible student. Not that he takes just the letter, for he remembers Paul's warning, "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."^{II Cor. 3:6.} He discovers the living Word, which gives direction, joy, purpose, and fulfillment to his life.

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Giving Thanks for What Church Really Is

November 22, 1975

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