Three Johns - three great men

The Ultimate Freedom - John H. Wyndham

What a wonderful example John Wyndham is of living, to the best of one's ability, “the life that would express the highest type of Christianity” (page 57); in his case under prisoner-of-war conditions in Java during the Second World War!

There are a couple of notable quotes through the book:

1.     Control thought – the inspiration gained through this Christly message is the foundation on which the book built.

2.     Do we think, or just think we think?

3.     There are three things God will not let you have. They are sin, sickness and death.

4.     You can have all the rest!

Anyone who has endeavoured to follow John's example of controlling thought (which is in effect to follow Jesus' example – see, for instance, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures 476:32-2) will know what a challenge this is to humans.

And he was able to do this in his initial solitary confinement, and even without food for a week at one period. There was no possible help other than God, divine Mind, which he knew was the only mind, therefore his mind.

I am reminded of John at Patmos (Revelation in the Bible) and John Bunyan (Pilgrim's Progress), and I feel that John Wyndham is worthy of a place in their tradition.

John Bunyan (1628-1688), author of Pilgrim's Progress, was a nonconformist preacher and pastor of the Bedford Free Church Meeting, and was imprisoned for 12 years for that nonconformity. This is when he wrote his masterpiece. It is interesting that he is revered by the Church of England, his former rival. 

Wikipedia notes that many authors have been influenced by Bunyan, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott and George Shaw. Interestingly, I can find no reference to John Bunyan or his great work in Mary Baker Eddy's writings. Note to myself: You must read that book. In my youth it seemed to be too hard for me to understand. I think there were probably excerpts from the book in our School Reader.

One can see from Mary Baker Eddy's experience in discovering Christian Science, that she had been in figurative captivity to the belief that man is in bondage to the material senses, the belief that “the body governed [her] rather than Mind” - see Science and Health pages 226-227. In gaining the understanding of man's relationship to God which freed her, she has in that work set down the rules by which we can all be freed. This is the understanding which John Wyndham demonstrated over and over again, for he was a student of Christian Science.

John Wyndham's recounting of a prisoner-of-war Christmas story is very dear. The Commandant paid with his own money for the large quantities of fruit which John had requested that he might buy from the people in the countryside, with money contributed by the prisoners. The Commandant explained his remarkable act: “Kismis, Kismis” he said with a broad grin on his face. John's request had included an explanation of the spirit of Christmas.

Even more precious is the Anzac Day story. The prisoners were Australian, and they were rather depressed when Anzac Day was coming around. John was prompted to request that the camp bugler may be permitted to play the Last Post at 11 am on that day. My! How John prayed his way through that war! He felt he was proving that Christianity is the right way of living and acting. The Last Post was played, with all the prisoners standing to attention for a full minute. And, every guard stood to attention with them! John writes, “During that one minute legions of angels ministered to us I felt” (page 59).

In the early years of the war, John, who was raised in Holland, wrote in his diary a prediction on the future of what was then the Dutch East Indies after the war. He foresaw the end of the three hundred and fifty years of Dutch colonisation (and virtual slavery of the people). And so it was proved, with the establishment of the nation of Indonesia.

On the Internet (Historical Christian Science Lectures) I found a recording of John Wyndham's lecture Do We Think or Just Think We Think? This was recorded in New York in the 1960s, an actual recording of his voice with its Dutch overtones. Our book, The Ultimate Freedom, puts into print what he has recorded in his lecture.

Joyce Voysey