Stratford on Avon is a hub of activity with the world-renown Shakespeare Theatre in town and corollary shops, cafes, and tourist’s attractions to keep visitors busy and engaged with local features.
Court Jester in Stratford
After prayerfully rejoicing in the success of the lecture the evening before and knowing it will continue to bear fruit far into the future, we headed south to Watford for my 7th and final lecture of the tour.
We attended Wednesday night testimony meeting with a happy and very friendly group at First Church of Christ, Scientist, Watford.
The pianist was super! The pieces she played were filled with refreshing energy, yet full of peace and calm too, a wonderful mix of qualities that inspire, and are challenging to demonstrate.
The reader announced that her readings were on safety and protection, which was exactly the same subject the reader at the Sutton-Coldfield church had chosen the Wednesday before. Brits are obviously giving this subject much prayer and attention.
The lecture sponsored by the Watford branch the next evening went well for everyone. It was a grand cap to the tour. Attendance was very strong, with many newcomers in the crowd. I talked with several of them and especially enjoyed a conversation with one young man who was full of questions about Christian Science. It was all new to him, but he was holding his first copy of Science and Health, determined to read it and strive to catch the vision he had glimpsed during the lecture.
He said he agreed with about every point I made, except for one—that evil is not real. He wasn’t disagreeing with the statement, but had a hard time grasping how it could be when evil looked so real around the world. We talked about it more and I explained that one has to view the truth in context.
Jesus faced evil in some of its most horrific forms, but in the end, when he walked out of the tomb alive and soon ascended to complete heavenly consciousness, he had successfully conquered every claim of evil. God, good, had the final say.
So it is in human life. We demonstrate the unreality of evil by degrees as our understanding of God’s omnipresent goodness grows. In the end of our demonstration, it will be seen clearly and completely, that every claim of evil never was what it had argued. It will be gone to our sense of things. Through Christ’s help, we make this demonstration, step by step, day by day, and inspiration by inspiration.
“Patience has its perfect work…”
Great post, great news from the UK!
Hi Evan – Thank you for your chronicles about your grand CS lecture tour in the U.K. 🙂 In this entry, you mentioned the man who had a lot of questions about C.S. and wrote, “It was all new to him, but he was holding his first copy of Science and Health, determined to read it and strive to catch the vision he had glimpsed during the lecture.” Just wanted to say that.. I came to CS through a lecture, so .. I could tangibly feel and remember when I was in his shoes. How fortunate for him to come to expand his understanding of CS through your lecture. Thank you for all the GOOD you do!