Milford chronicle., 1961-04-21

The lecturer spoke SubStan-
tally as follows:
In the village of Shunem in
ancient Galilee the power and
willingness of God to save man
kind from sickness and death was
illustrated in a manner that has
remained through the centuries
an inspiring example of how
righteous prayer brings healing
to even the most distressing
physical conditions.
While in the field with his
father. a much-loved son became
desperately i'll. The father had
the boy taken to his mother,
whom the Bible, in the book of
ii Kings (4:8), describes as "a
great woman" She cared for her
son tenderly till noon, but the
child died. This family was
closely associated with Elisha, the
prophet of God, and so deep was
the mothers appreciation of this
good man that she had provided
a room in their home for his use
whenever he might be in. their
village.
On the day of her sons pass
ing, when her need of help was
extreme, her thought immedi-
ately reached out to the spiritual
seer. Making no explanation, she
told her husband that she must
go to the prophet. In reply to his
queries she answered (II Kings
4:23), at shall be we'll" Did not
her turning to one whom she had
recognized I'll Kings 4:9) as IAN
holy man of God" indicate that
she gllmpsed in some degree the
fact that their help must come
from Gods goodness and that His
servant, the prophet, could utilize
Gods healing law in their behalf?
When she reached Elisha and was
asked about the welfare of her
self and of her family, she stead
fastly maintained what we,
through Christian Science, have
learned is always the spiritual
fact concerning Gods creation,
that ''It is well" III Kings 4:26).
Elisha, conscious of her human
need for help, went with her to
her home. AS he prayed to God
on behalf of the child, the spirit
ual facts of true being and the
indestructibility of Gods crea-
ton became apparent, and the
illusion that something could
destroy Gods beloved child was
dissipated. AS a result the boy
was presented to his mother alive
and well.
The experience Of the Shunam-
mite and her son inspires us
today to turn to God in prayer in
order to find surcease from that
which is unlike God. The story
also inspires us to seek through
prayer the realization that the
evidence of Gods good will for
all of His creation can become
apparent through demonstration
here and now. The prayer of the
Christian Scientist is not a re-
quest that God will change what
in His infinite wisdom He has
decreed. 1t is rather the scien-
tific realization that God has
decreed only life and good for
all. This state of thought is at
tanned through scientific petition,
through the recognition Of the
perfection of God and man. and
through unsettled love. Such
prayer brings healing to the sick
and the sinful.
Jesus of Nazareth, the Founder
of Christianity, the Master, Way
shower, and Exemplar of all
Christians, gave to mankind
cardinal rule which, when scien-
tifically followed, leads men to
entertain the kind of thinking
that is productive of good results.
He said (John 7:24), Judge not
according to the appearance, but
judge righteous judgment" This
means that we cannot induce
what constitutes Gods universe
from what the material senses
testify. Rather we must deduce
from the correct understanding
of God logical conclusions as to
what comprises His creation. To
judge rightly we must under
stand that God, good, is Spirit
and is true, and that everything
which God creates, including
man and the universe, is spiritual
and true. We must reject as un-
true or unreal all that is unlike
God, all mortal error, including
matter, sin. disease, and death.
Christian Science is the answer
10 mankind's prayer that they
might judge righteous judgment,
that they might know what is
real and true, and thus demon
strate good in their present expe-