One night, my wife and I awoke to the sound of our toddler son crying. We hurried to his room and found him feverish. My wife began to comfort him by singing familiar hymns from the Christian Science Hymnal. As I reached out to God, the words “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear” from the Bible came to thought (I John 4:18). I paused, as I did not feel that I was particularly fearful at that moment, but I took that message as an imperative to love our son in a more “perfect” way. 

What did that mean?

It said to me that I should more consistently cherish our son as his Father-Mother God created him—not as a toddler susceptible to illness, but as a fully complete spiritual idea with permanent health derived from God, divine Spirit.