Persistent Pilgrim
It took me a while to warm to this book, but I finished it
feeling very happy to have become acquainted with it. Here are some passages I noted as I read.
Page 97: "Alone"
The poem "Alone",
which Mrs Eddy (then Patterson) wrote early in her work in Science, tells of
her despair on one hand and hope on the other. Here is one of the last stanzas:
Thy love can live in Truth, and be
A joy, and immortality;
To bless mankind with word and deed, -
Thy life a great and noble creed.
O glorious hope, my faith renew,
O mortal joys, adieu! adieu!
Goodbye to mortal joys. Not au revoir (till
we see each other again), but adieu. We could be sad for
her, if we didn't know the mighty work and triumphs which were to come: spiritual joy indeed in the meeting with her Lord.
Page 13: Asa Gilbert Eddy
The worth of Dr Eddy is praised
by Mrs Eddy (Patterson/Glover) when he revived her after "a violent
seizure". She wrote: "I was astonished at his skill, he was calm, clear, and
strong, and so kind I fell in love with him. Never before had I
see his real character, so tender and yet so controlling." She went on to marry him and he was a great strength at her
side.
Page 179: Voluntary welfare work
A student wrote, concerning worthwhile social
projects, humility and brotherliness: "Mrs Eddy was very appreciative of my voluntary welfare
work....she admitted when I said the other half of Christian Science would
demand human brotherhood practically applied in every relation of life.
But she said the first thing is to implant firmly in human consciousness the
Power of God to heal sickness, sorrow, etc. When that has taken hold of
mankind, the other will in time follow as a necessary consequence."
Page 191: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel's painting of creation
"There is a tradition that, in the scenes on the
Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Michelangelo did not paint the creation and then
proceed to do scenes that ended in man's fall from paradise. The
tradition is that Michelangelo intended the paintings to be read from the
opposite end of the chapel. Starting from a fallen sense of himself, man,
through the experience of rebirth, gradually comes to see his unfallen, sinless
nature, until in the last (first) mural his hand is grasped by the hand of
God." Nenneman points out that whether verified or not, it
"expresses the theological difference that separated Mrs Eddy from
traditional Christianity."
Page 217: Science and Health a teacher of itself
Mrs Eddy is quoted as
saying that Science and Health is teacher of itself. "The
best student that can be made in this period is the one who studies this book
by himself and practises it as I have taught them. Students can not
interpret Science and Health as correctly to another student as God
will interpret it to them if they do this. It is doing that that makes
them catch my true meaning."
Page 220: Expectation of inspired, eloquent students
Nenneman speaks of
Mrs Eddy's expectation and hope that her students would be able to preach
Christian Science in a similar manner to herself, not using notes, but as one who lives
"so near the heart of God he speaks from inspiration". When
pastors were not up to this standard, she named the Bible and Science and
Health the Pastor for the church.
Page 227: Music and hymns
Music gets a mention. I think it was about 1894. "She was also experimenting during these same years
with appropriate hymns and music for her church. While she had her
reservations even about music and its tendency to be sensual, she found an
accommodation with music that she apparently did not find with visual art, as
far as illustrating the lessons of Christian Science."
Page 285: Reading Science and Health to a patient
Edward Kimball reported a healing through reading Science and Health to a
patient. It is so good I must quote it here. "A lady who came to study with me said, "My father
was for 30 years a physician in Texas. Five years ago his sight began to
fail. The oculists said that the retina in each eye was being absorbed
and that total blindness would ensue. In four years he was blind and the last
oculist said, 'He is eternally blind. It is useless for you to
hope.' (His daughter began to read to him from Science and Health.)
We did not know enough to discuss it. We just read it. I used to
assist him, and one day as I took him to the washstand he said, 'Oh how I wish
that I could see you.' Then he turned to wash his fade, and as he did so
he said, 'But I can see that God is All - There is nothing but God.' Then
he turned and looked towards me and instantly I knew that he saw me. At
that moment his sight was restored and he can now see better than I can."
Page 325: Yale University including Christian Science in its curriculum
Severin Simonsen reported
that Yale University was to include Christian Science in course "Christian
and Current Day Views" at its Divinity School.
Page 346: Eddy both author and student of S&H
Nenneman comments that Mrs
Eddy always remained both author and student of her book, Science
and Health. I wonder if any other author has had the humility to
make that claim about their work.
One is reminded of the tiny understanding we have of
this great Science. And how we must study and work with the
book continually.
Joyce Voysey
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