On Saturday mornings I take my son to coding classes about 40 minutes away from our house. The classes last 2 hours and during that time I try to find something useful to do. Sometimes I go for a walk or a run. Other times I find myself at a diner typing away on a keyboard. One particular day several weeks ago, I found myself visiting a nearby Christian Science Reading Room.
Their room was on the upper level of a two-story building that held a variety of shops and offices. I opened a see-through glass door and stepped in. An older man sat behind a counter. He greeted me with a strong Boston accent. After a short conversation, I was shown a place where I could study, reflect and write if I wanted.
I sat down in a comfortable chair and began to type on my computer. After a few minutes, I looked around the room. I took notice of the brochures and books having to do with Christian Science. There were several books about treating addiction, depression and suffering from abuse. There were also books about the faith. One was about how Mary Baker Eddy discovered Christian Science. Another argued that Christian Science wasn't pantheism. I began to look through the literature.
After looking at various brochures, it occurred to me that I'd never read Mary Baker Eddy's book Science and Health. A copy sat on the table. I picked it up. The book surprised me. I was expecting to read that all of my physical ailments were illusory. I was expecting the unsophisticated style I might find in the Book of Mormon - no offense to the Latter Day Saints. That's not what I found.
The first thing I noticed was that Mary Baker Eddy was a fine writer. I didn't have to trudge through her words. She communicated clearly and interestingly. Moreover, many of the ideas she communicated were deep spiritual truths that are found at the heart of many religious traditions, especially those that embrace mysticism. Eddy was a mystic who almost certainly got some of her ideas from Hinduism.
I realized as I was reading through the book that Eddy's focus was on spiritual health more than on physical health. She did believe in physical healing, but much of what I read focused on being spiritually healthy. After reading enough to have my perceptions challenged, I returned to the counter to discuss my question with the Bostonian. "You know," I said, "I've always thought that you folks believed that faith will make you physically healthy. I'm reading this book and I'm beginning to think that maybe I misunderstood."
He explained that while they do believe in physical healing and that faith does tend to make people healthier, that they don't believe faith necessarily heals the body the way that their critics often assume. He told me that they focus primarily on spiritual health, but that they believe that spiritual health often translates into physical health. At this, he pointed to recent research indicating that happier people tend to live longer.
After some time, I left the Reading Room to pick my son up from his coding classes. On our way home, I reflected on my mistake. I should have known that my assumptions about the Christian Scientists were biased. I should have thought to pick up their book and at least look through it years ago. More than that, I should have been aware that the nuances of different religious beliefs are usually lost on their critics. We often fail to understand each other. I should have known better.
Their room was on the upper level of a two-story building that held a variety of shops and offices. I opened a see-through glass door and stepped in. An older man sat behind a counter. He greeted me with a strong Boston accent. After a short conversation, I was shown a place where I could study, reflect and write if I wanted.
I sat down in a comfortable chair and began to type on my computer. After a few minutes, I looked around the room. I took notice of the brochures and books having to do with Christian Science. There were several books about treating addiction, depression and suffering from abuse. There were also books about the faith. One was about how Mary Baker Eddy discovered Christian Science. Another argued that Christian Science wasn't pantheism. I began to look through the literature.
After looking at various brochures, it occurred to me that I'd never read Mary Baker Eddy's book Science and Health. A copy sat on the table. I picked it up. The book surprised me. I was expecting to read that all of my physical ailments were illusory. I was expecting the unsophisticated style I might find in the Book of Mormon - no offense to the Latter Day Saints. That's not what I found.
The first thing I noticed was that Mary Baker Eddy was a fine writer. I didn't have to trudge through her words. She communicated clearly and interestingly. Moreover, many of the ideas she communicated were deep spiritual truths that are found at the heart of many religious traditions, especially those that embrace mysticism. Eddy was a mystic who almost certainly got some of her ideas from Hinduism.
I realized as I was reading through the book that Eddy's focus was on spiritual health more than on physical health. She did believe in physical healing, but much of what I read focused on being spiritually healthy. After reading enough to have my perceptions challenged, I returned to the counter to discuss my question with the Bostonian. "You know," I said, "I've always thought that you folks believed that faith will make you physically healthy. I'm reading this book and I'm beginning to think that maybe I misunderstood."
He explained that while they do believe in physical healing and that faith does tend to make people healthier, that they don't believe faith necessarily heals the body the way that their critics often assume. He told me that they focus primarily on spiritual health, but that they believe that spiritual health often translates into physical health. At this, he pointed to recent research indicating that happier people tend to live longer.
After some time, I left the Reading Room to pick my son up from his coding classes. On our way home, I reflected on my mistake. I should have known that my assumptions about the Christian Scientists were biased. I should have thought to pick up their book and at least look through it years ago. More than that, I should have been aware that the nuances of different religious beliefs are usually lost on their critics. We often fail to understand each other. I should have known better.
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