If a friend falls ill, be quick to see your friend in their true spiritual light. It’s something helpful you can do that not only protects your thought from soaking in a lie about illness, but also rests good thoughts on your friend that can lighten the path before them to healing.
Any type of illness is a lie about God’s creation. It’s an affront to reality, and it is incumbent on any serious spiritual thinker and doer to never accept a lie as a truth, no matter what form it might show up in—including in the experience of a dear friend.
God’s child is perfect. Always! There is only a perfect child of God to hold in thought about anyone—including any family member, neighbor, or friend.
The friend may not be asking you for Christian Science treatment. But that’s okay. You still have a moral and spiritual responsibility to see them in their true spiritual light.
From God’s point of view, there is only one “friend” to see—the perfect and healthy child of God. It’s quite possible that the clear spiritual view you behold reaches their thought in positive ways that bless them and help them on their way. The effect is like a street lamp shining light on the sidewalk at night. The lamp’s light is not directed in any specific direction, but anyone who walks near the light is benefited by its illumination.
Be a shining light for your friend!
Mary Baker Eddy wrote, “Good thoughts are an impervious armor; clad therewith you are completely shielded from the attacks of error of every sort. And not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited” (Miscellany, p. 210).
Rest right thoughts on your friend. They will benefit!
Evan this is so helpful to me today, especially showing how to think of a relative who is having a bit of a struggle. I love the idea of the street light. Thank you for all these daily blessings.
So helpful, thank you Evan! And like Linda, I love the streetlight analogy! It reminds me of the quote “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” … a city isn’t ‘pointed’ in a particular direction but is visible to anyone who looks towards it.
Thank you for the wonderful consistency with which you produce these spiritual lifts, they’re so appreciated
Thank you God for Evan’s blog today……pointing me in the right direction.
Evan….thank you for your many, many inspiring blogs which uplift thought.
Thank you also all the dear people who add their responses and search out such helpful articles in support of the theme!
So grateful!!
Ann ( UK )
Thank you Evan for this Awesome liberating post !
&
sometimes fear must be denounced, as in “get thee behind me”
‘Fear and Disease’:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/wiv0zpo2ty?s=e
Thanks Evan – very helpful .
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you very much, Evan! It is so helpful to be reminded that our good thoughts, our
God-thoughts, held to, have a beneficial effect for our friends, (even if they are unaware of it), for the world, and of course for ourselves! We can always turn to and hold to God, acknowledge
Him and express Him in whatever way is needed, at any given moment! I am reminded of
Mrs. Eddy’s words in S&H 571:15-18 “At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good, sKnow thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil.”
opps…”know”
Just what I needed as I awake in the wee hours—just perfect!
Thank you!
I’ve found this little prayer helpful when thinking about friends or family members in need. https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1983/5/101-5/prayer-for-loved-ones
Thank you, Robyn, for sharing this lovely, uplifting poem. And Evan, thank you so much for the daily treasures!
Robyn thank you for kindly sharing the poem. For those of us who are not subscribers it only displayed the first two lines. If anyone has the shared link that all can view, please provide, thank you.
Evan I appreciate your statement that we “have a moral and spiritual responsibility to see them in their true spiritual light.” It is our divine and joyous duty, not a chore or obligation, but a privilege to see one’s friend in their true light. I’ve heard of many healings, where the person did not necessarily ask for prayer, that came from seeing someone as they truly are, as a unique idea of God, made only of spiritual qualities, having access to all of God’s qualities with which He made us. Still hoping to gain more understanding of how this works.
I put this into practice about two months ago when a good friend was put in the hospital with a belief of virus. I shared about this and my fears about it on May 18 Spiritview, and received loving support from some dear Spiritviewers, who helped keep my thought clear on this friend’s unchanging nature as God’s reflection. I felt fear but kept thinking about all his qualities such as intelligence, wisdom, sense of humor, kindness etc and knowing that’s all he is. Happy to report that he is fine and free of that claim. At the time I had texted his wife (they are not Christian Scientists) saying to her that he is well and will continue to be well as God made him. She texted back that they appreciated my thoughts.
I need to apply this as well to another good friend who recently shared with me that she was told she has a serious ailment that has a humanly fear-inducing name that is believed to at times be fatal. I was calmer than I expected and was able to immediately begin seeing the truth about her — hope to continue seeing her as God knows her to be. Thank you to everyone here, deeply grateful and sending love to all of you!
Rose, I love thoughts in poetic form because they’re easy to recall whenever needed and I’ve used this prayer/poem many times when friends (or even strangers) who seem to be experiencing a challenge but haven’t asked for help come to mind. While not “treating” them unasked, I’m giving my own thought about them a treatment and placing them in the care of our Father-Mother!
Prayer for loved ones
By HELEN C. BENSON
From the May 1983 issue of The Christian Science Journal
I place them in Your hands, dear God;
I trust them to Your care.
You who mark the sparrow’s fall
And number every hair
Will cherish them and guard them well
From snares of every kind.
No false responsibility
Disturbs my peace of mind.
Your love, far greater than my own,
Provides for them all good.
This have I learned—to humbly trust
Your father-motherhood.
HELEN C. BENSON
Thank you so kindly for that Robyn!
Great analogy Evan…thank you and it makes great sense too. This is something I’ve had to think about for the last year or so as SO many people seem to tell me their problems and I feel it’s my duty to pray about these situations and to proactive;y see them in the light.
Thank you, Evsn, for this today, as it’s opened, as always, the helpful exchange of ideas. I LOVE the poem Robyn shared, and the relevant idea from Angie’s post about fear being the basis of all ills. It has taken me a long time to let go of sympathy as I’ve listened to woes told me by many friends and acquaintances- and the whole world! Mrs Eddy admonishes us :”neither sympathy nor society should ever tempt us to cherish error in any form, and certainly we should not be error’s advocate.” Put this way, its obviously absurd to be an advocate or to “cherish” evil, especially if it appears to have attached itself to a loved one, or to oneself!
I do love the idea & strive to be a streetlight that radiates love.
Thank you
Thank you Evan and friends. This is my go to every morning!
Thank you too Evan and lest we forget that we are our own best friend. Keeping ourselves in the true light bring light into the world as well.
I appreciate everyone’s comments too, thanks to all for sharing.
Yes we need to shine that light on ourselves and others when seeming evidence to the contrary presents itself.
A good friend never fails to tell me of her latest tale of woe but never asks for help. She is not sure she believes in God. She knows I practice Christian Science. I share simple Truths with her as they pertain to my experience.
We both are in our so called later years. Yesterday she complained of pain in her lags, “But you never get those do you.” I said that tried to happen this morning but in Christian Science we see the matter body as a counterfeit of the body that is spiritual and real. so I declared the spiritual body, the image and likeness of God couldn’t be in pain and it left. She blinked and said “really?”
Even though we seem to live in this counterfeit body we still feed, clothe and keep it clean but we need to declare our spiritual reality of the real and true. That we are spiritual no matter how often the opposite tries to convince us otherwise.
“When examined in the light of Science, mortals present more then is detected upon the surface, since inverted thoughts and erroneous beliefs must be counterfeits of Truth.” S&H page 267:19.
I appreciate this column and the message today and that it is alright to let our light shine in this way, even silently seeing the Truth about our friends and family.
oops Legs. She also said “It has to be mind over matter.” I should have replied yes Divine Mind over matter as I silently said to myself.
“Mortals are the counterfeits of immortals.” S&H 476:1
“Rightly understood, instead of possessing a sentient material form, man has a sensationless body; and God, the Soul of man and of all existence, being perpetual in his own individuality, harmony, and immortality, imparts and perpetuates these qualities in man,– through Mind , not matter.” S&H 280:25-30
Thank you Evan and all! This reminds me of a testimony a friend gave in church. A tennis partner had suffered a broken wrist, and my friend used her name while reading through Mrs. Eddy’s definition of “man” on page 475 of Science and Health. The partner, who had not asked for prayer, was quickly healed. Praise God for Truth!
On the jsh.christianscience.com website, under Journal articles, there is an article, “Your primary, life-giving purpose” by Mark Swinney, in which he talks about loving others: “Do we really have enough love within us to love everyone? We would not if it were some sort of personal, humanly originated love with which we were supposed to love others. You can experiment with God’s tremendous love in order to learn more about it. Try this: The next time you’re praying, behold God loving someone who appears to be your enemy. God’s love is absolutely infinite, so there is enough to wash clean all impressions of evil, hatred, or selfishness as belonging to anyone. Quietly behold God’s love resting on all, including that individual, who is actually a spiritual creation of God.” You can switch out enemy for [friend/relative] and the thought of washing them clean of [illness, other issues, etc.].
Much gratitude fir Evan’s blog and all the wonderful shared comments! Yes, we have the moral and spiritual right to know the truth about anyone–while not “working” directly for them if unasked to do so. God’s law of infinite, everlasting Love is present everywhere, every moment.
Whoops–“for” not “fir”!
Perfect for me and a dear friend right now. Thank you!
Thank you, Evan for another helpful blog topic.
Also a big thank you for the comments – so helpful to remember when facing interactions with others.
Thank you, Angie, for another helpful Sentinel article.
I have to keep reminding myself to stay in the light of God’s presence and not to allow myself to get swept away in a giant error laden wave of sympathy.
A wonderfully helpful topic this morning.some very disturbing
Occurrences seem to be developing on my family so my thought
Needed a tune-up. Very grateful for all the applications of
Christian Science extessong real and only truth of being .
Expressing.0nly.I sometimes think this computer
works on its own!
Didn’t get to see this until today, but it was exactly what I needed. A friend whom my husband and I have known since he was a child recently informed me that he had received a very frightening medical diagnosis. We have never spoken of faith or spiritual matters, so I was quite surprised when he asked us to pray for him. We have been doing so, each in our own way (my husband is not CS but does believe in the power of prayer), but sometimes it has been hard not to feel discouraged. This blog makes me feel so supported in knowing that only God’s perfect, loved idea is the true picture, and that divine Love is holding this dear man and his young family close. And the Helen Benson poem is wonderful!
Thank you, Evan, and all the Spiritview family!