An inquirer asks Mary Baker Eddy, “Do you reject utterly the bacteria theory of the propagation of disease?”
She answers, “Oh,” with a prolonged inflection, “entirely. If I harbored that idea about a disease, I should think myself in danger of catching it.” (Miscellany, p. 344).
At first glance, a reader of this conversation might think that Mrs. Eddy ignores the threat of contagion and pretends like it doesn’t exist. But that is not the case. She understood that contagion is mental, rather than physical. It is mental microbes of fear circulating in public consciousness that spread disease, not physical germs in the air.
As she learned through her practice of spiritual healing, if one is in a right spiritual state of mind, physical germs one is exposed to are rendered harmless.
To help us learn how to defend ourselves from the spread of harmful mental contagion, she writes, “When the condition is present which you say induces disease, whether it be air, exercise, heredity, contagion, or accident, then perform your office as porter and shut out these unhealthy thoughts and fears. Exclude from mortal mind the offending errors; then the body cannot suffer from them” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 392).
In Truth, we are spiritual beings with spiritual health that is never threatened by a germ. As we stay conscious of our spiritual reality with God, we maintain an armor of protection against germs. They are rendered harmless.
Stay spiritually minded. Stay healthy! Protect yourself from contagion.
Wonderful!
Thank you so much.
During the intense Covid days my theme song was Love is in the Air sung by John Paul Young~a hit song in 1978
and I held fast to the idea that only Love is contagious!
Hi Susan, I remember that song from back in the 1970’s, always liked it. One line was, “Love is in the air, everywhere I look around, Love is in the air, every sight and every sound.” Divine Love!
Air is sometimes called atmosphere.
Hymns 144 and 145 begin with::
“In atmosphere of Love divine we live and move and breathe;”
And end with: “For God, immortal Principle is with us everywhere; He holds us perfect in His love, And we His image bear.”
Also, “Health is not a condition of matter, but of Mind.” (S&H p. 120)
Thanks for a wonderful reminder Rose. During 2019 to 2021 there was a lot of fear about even going to the grocery store and hymn 144 was what I lived with during that time and still. We can show love and feel love without fear of contagion because “we live and move and have our being in God, Love.” In the atmosphere of Love divine. We are never separated from God.
Thank you, Evan. I love this. And Susan I love “love is in the air”!! Thank you both and I love Mrs. Eddy’s Miscellany page 116 “at a time of contagious, disease, Christian scientist, endeavor to rise in consciousness to the true sense of the omnipotence of Life , Truth , and Love and this great fact in Christian science realized will stop a contagion “
Thanks Evan. Very helpful as have contagion – very weak. Ouch
Dear Richard, as Susan said above, “only Love is contagious.” You have a divine right to see yourself as God always sees you, upright, strong and vital, now. Love to you.
Thanks Rose – kind.and.helpful. Richard
“Stopping contagion” By Jan K. Keeler. From the November 6, 2014, issue of The Christian Science Monitor:
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-Christian-Science-Perspective/2014/1106/Stopping-contagion/?src=shared
Thanks for sharing this. It was wonderful.
Thanks for this so helpful sharing.
I just had a healing of a belief of a bad cold. I remembered that Mrs. Eddy is asking us in the Manual on Page 42:to defend ourselves daily against aggressive mental suggestion. I grasped that I had to close the door to all “hear say” and to all material intruding beliefs. When obedient my thought changed base and I was free of such belief..
I love the idea that the only things we can get come directly from God, and it’s always good. Mary Baker Eddy says, “man possesses nothing which he has not derived from God”.
Thank you, Evan, for this, so truthful help in overcoming the aggressive
mental suggestions that seem so prevalent and we can be so easily influenced
by, if we let them into our thought. I have noticed that advertisements seem
to have become more visual and aggressive in trying to persuade us into
believing in thinking mortally, rather than spiritually. Influencers tempt us
to subliminally or virulently bow down to believing in false beliefs of
contagion or whatever seems to be occupying thought that is counter intuitive
to our spiritual progress. The One Mind/Spirit of Divine Love helps to keep
thought pure and free from limited mortal beliefs that would try to harm us
into believing in a power other than God.
I’m also very thankful for today’s spiritual view about contagion! It is very true and comforting what you give us, dear Evan!
Thank you dear Angel for your comment. All the many commercials on TV are against our progress in Christian Science, and I always press the mute-button then. But of course there can be nothing against our spiritual progress, because, as we know, progress is a law of God! And it’s for sure!
Thanks dear J for you lovingly surching suitable healing articles for us, and it’s today again a helpful article!
Oh yes, I also pray and like to sing hymn 144/145, it’s so freeing and joyful. And the sentence S&H 120 “Health is not a condition of matter, but of divine Mind” is such a healing, comforting Truth, I love it – thanks a lot, dear Rose!
All are such helpful healing reminders of the divine Truth and Love – thank you very much ❤️