Over 17 years ago, a new neighbor moved into my building. He was always kind, calm, and thoughtful. Our initial interactions were neighborly, but for some time they did not go much beyond that.
Later, though, I would sometimes encounter this neighbor when I came home from work earlier than usual suffering from a severe migraine. On these occasions, he would often say, “You rest, and I will be thinking of you.” I did not fully understand what he meant by that, but I always felt his loving care for me, and after a few hours I would be relieved of the pain.
After one of these occurrences, I told my neighbor about the migraine going away, and he commented, “What’s needed is for thought to be spiritualized.” This caused me to ponder how one spiritualizes thought. I had been seeking spirituality for many years, and now I found the neighbor’s reference to spiritualizing thought so intriguing that I asked him about it, wanting to better understand what was involved.
When he mentioned Christian Science, I was a little apprehensive, as I had not heard of it before and confused the term “Christian Science” with other schools of thought. My neighbor, sensing my concern, kindly corrected my misconceptions and shared what Christian Science is and who Mary Baker Eddy – the discoverer of Christian Science and founder of The Christian Science Monitor – was.
As I learned more about Christian Science, I realized that the spiritualization of thought my neighbor had mentioned was about seeing everyone’s true being as spiritual, as created and maintained by God, Spirit. While he hadn’t been giving me specific metaphysical treatment, I had felt his calm and loving thought about me, and that had brought healing.
Over many months, as my interest grew, my neighbor shared copies of the weekly Christian Science Sentinel and the monthly Christian Science Journal and told me about many of his own healings. The testimonies of healing I read in those magazines provided much inspiration and insight. My neighbor’s patience and generosity in answering my many questions and sharing numerous verses from the Bible gave me a fuller appreciation of the Scriptures – and of the spiritual understanding of the Bible that Christian Science brings to light.
My neighbor also offered me a copy of the Bible and of Mrs. Eddy’s book “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.” He directed me particularly to the chapters “Prayer” and “Fruitage” in Science and Health. I recall my excitement and awe as I read, for I had not previously come across what I felt was the truth expressed in such a simple and clear way. I remember thinking at the time, “How is it that I did not know about Christian Science until now?”
For several months I had been dealing with chronic pain from what I had been told – while seeking relief through homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and acupuncture – were issues with my kidneys. But as I became more enlightened by the many healing testimonies shared in the Christian Science periodicals, I decided to rely solely on prayer as taught in Christian Science.
I got rid of all the herbal medicines, stopped going for acupuncture treatment, and focused on reading Science and Health. It was a few days after reading the first chapter, “Prayer,” that I realized that the pain I had been experiencing had disappeared. And in time, I also noticed that the migraines had stopped.
Although filled with gratitude for the changed circumstances, at the time I did not fully understand what had happened or how it had happened. But as I continued to imbibe the teachings of Christian Science and my understanding deepened, I realized that it was the truth I had felt and understood while reading Science and Health that had healed the pain.
My neighbor continued to share many aspects of Christian Science, including the availability of Christian Science practitioners and nurses as well as lectures, church services, and class instruction. He also introduced me to the “Manual of The Mother Church,” which helped to deepen my understanding of Christian Science and Mrs. Eddy.
My life has forever changed since I started to study Christian Science. I have deep gratitude for God’s grace in bringing this neighbor into my life, for the neighbor’s willingness to share the teachings of Christ Jesus and Jesus’ devoted follower, Mrs. Eddy, and for all the good I have experienced as a result. I’m so grateful to have Christian Science in my life.
Adapted from an article published in the Aug. 11, 2025, issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.