In Their Own Words
Testimony
January 26, 2025
At the moment, I’m detained in the County Jail. In my time at the jail, I met with a Christian Science Chaplain. After that meeting I started studying and practicing this divine Science. I know through Christian Science very much about my relationship with God. And that all the creation of God is good. During my whole life God has been with me because he is eternal life without beginning or end. In the time I’ve been practicing this spiritual religion there were many healings for me, my family and friends. Here is one I want to share with you today.
God is good to me and has blessed me with a beautiful daughter who is now 13 and is the light of my eye. When she turned 3 years old, the doctors diagnosed her with a bone disease. I followed her medical treatments for about 5 or 6 years.
When I started my Christian Science studies, I didn’t want to buy more medicine. The doctors wanted us not to allow her to run because her bones were very weak. Her mom always told me that she fell down often. I began to open my thought to what she is, a perfect girl in the image of God. Everything that is true of God is true of her. So, I told her that we were not going to buy more medicine. She was very happy to know that because she didn’t like the medicine. I told her that we would try another treatment, and this would not require medicine—but it would require faith in God.
So, we started our treatments, which were very simple and easy so that she wouldn’t find them complicated. I told her God is good and He wants her to be happy because He is happy. He has no limitations. He is always taking care of you and everyone. We always talked about these ideas. With time, my daughter got to know all these truths better and told me how her legs improved more and more. I encouraged her to run and jump with her friends because what is true about God is true about her. Today my lovely daughter is 13 years old and is the best player on her soccer team. She says she walks, runs, and jumps every day now.
I am very grateful to God for that healing and for filling us with so much Love. I also thank Him for allowing me to have this very best encounter with the spiritual truth that is Christian Science. Christian Science has been a good change for me and for everyone around me. I am very grateful to God for His great love and for the Chaplains who sacrifice their time day by day to come to these places to teach us that God is always with us and taking care of us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Today’s Inspiring Articles
If you have a subscription to JSH-Online.com, you can access all of these articles. Otherwise, we’ve shared 5 out below.
Don’t miss the CSPS Internet Radio at the bottom of this page. It updates weekly with new programming, so check back each week!
Highlighted article/poem
Lessons from volunteering at a prison
It was humbling and gratifying to see the men we visited starting to glimpse their true nature as lovable and loved.
The maxim “Those who are hardest to love need it the most” (often attributed to Socrates) is familiar to many, and I’ve been saying it most of my life. But recently a fresh take on this occurred to me.
As a Christian Scientist, I’ve taken to heart the two great commandments singled out by Christ Jesus (see Matthew 22:37, 39), which could be summarized as “Love God and love man—yourself and everyone else.” He also taught us to love our enemies, so as difficult as it may be to accept, someone being hard to love is no excuse for not loving them.
But what if the person I am finding it so hard to love, who needs it most, is not someone “out there” but is actually . . . me? The standard that Jesus gives for loving everyone else is to love them as we love ourselves, and that standard is grounded in loving God, our creator.
See, when we are expressing love, we feel loved. And when we feel loved, we can’t help but love others. The way to feel and express love is through yielding to the love of God, who is Love itself. The Bible’s book of First John says “We love because God first loved us” (4:19, Common English Bible).
What if the person who is so hard to love is not an enemy or someone “out there”?
So I’ve been thinking that we could understand the saying as “People are hardest to love when I don’t feel Love.” Then we’re not making it about other people or waiting for someone else to change before we love them but instead are including them in the love that we already feel.
I recently had an opportunity to demonstrate this. For years I watched my wife do volunteer work as a Christian Science prison chaplain. Without fail, she would come home from a visit to a prison or jail glowing with inspiration. I admired her enthusiasm and willingness to serve in this way but was perfectly content to be her cheerleader. But as far as doing similar work myself? Ha—no! I convinced myself that this kind of work wasn’t for me and that I had enough on my plate already.
But to be honest, it was simply fear that was causing my resistance. What if I messed up? What if I said the wrong thing? What if those who were incarcerated were unkind to me? What if I embarrassed myself or our church or unintentionally misrepresented Christian Science? What if? What if? It was all self-focused.
I started to open up to the idea of going into prisons and jails when there was a shortage of volunteers and a great demand in our area, but I needed to really pray about it. I began by cherishing qualities in myself such as willingness, humility, and confidence, affirming that I include those God-given qualities as God’s child. As I did this, I saw that fear and resistance were no part of my true, God-created identity, but mental impositions that I’d mistakenly taken on as defining who I am. As long as I accepted these negative traits as true about me, I found it hard to love myself. But as I instead acknowledged God as my divine source, I felt His love for me, and I noticed that I felt more love for His children—seeing everyone, including me, as sourced in divine Love.
Divine Love was changing me. I went from a self-centered way of thinking to one that is God-centered, with a desire to serve my community—and yes, that included visiting correctional facilities! Then one day I felt completely at peace with serving on the institutional committee at my branch Church of Christ, Scientist, and helping hold church services in a state prison.
The first day I walked into the prison, it was the most natural thing in the world to look these men in the eye and talk to them with kindness and love, to see each one as God does, as His innocent child. I was just starting to get the hang of my new role when the state prisons went into lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I took this time away from volunteer work to pray more deeply about some challenges I was having and to learn even more about what it means to love my neighbor as myself.
When we were allowed to return to the prisons, I found that I was still tempted to feel self-conscious, but I was determined to put into practice all that I had learned during my time away. With loving as my motive and inspiration, making it a priority to bear witness to my and everyone’s true being as Love’s precious, beloved child, my fear dissolved. It was humbling and gratifying beyond words to see the men we visited starting to glimpse their true nature as lovable and loved. Healings resulted for them and for me.
The first day of our return, one of the incarcerated men came in late, saw me, and yelled out my name with joy. I hadn’t seen him for a year. Then he stopped cold and looked me up and down. He said, “You look different—you look taller. That’s it, you’re taller!” I told him I was wearing the same shoes I always wore, and we laughed.
On the long drive home, I kept wondering about what he had said, and then it dawned on me. He had recognized my spiritual progress. As I was witnessing his true, God-given nature, he was also seeing mine.
Institutional work has taught me the importance of loving myself—seeing myself as God sees me—so that I can freely love others and be available to serve God in the way He points out. We all can acknowledge and affirm that we are both the object and the expression of God’s love. Then we can see that no one is hard to love.
More inspiring articles:
- Jeffrey Scott Johnson, “Freedom from heredity”, 7/1/2024, Christian Science Sentinel, “Recently my dad showed me an album he had found with family photos dating back to the 1800s. This fascinating collection sparked much conversation about the past and our family’s history. . Click here to read the full article.
- Dunsire, Julie, “We saw him as the guest of God”, 4/24/2024, Christian Science Journal, “My spiritual preparation was to recognize that no one could be outside of “the structure of Truth and Love.”
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1njiorn2ga2?s=copylink
- Larsen, Whit, “Lessons from volunteering at a prison”, 5/27/2024, Christian Science Sentinel. “It was humbling and gratifying to see the men we visited starting to glimpse their true nature as lovable and loved.”
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1zc3ls8hu0?s=copylink - Larrance, Stephen, “A Prisoner Finds Something He Can Count On”, 2/19/2001, Christian Science Sentinel. An inmate describes how learning about God in prison brought him peace in the face of adverse circumstances.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2001/2/103-8/a-prisoner-finds-something-he-can-count-on - Talcott, Brian, “A Spiritual Vision for Prison Reform”, 10/17/2011, Christian Science Sentinel. A Teacher of Christian Science shares inspiration he has gained from his Christian Science study that contributes to healing of both individual inmates and our prison system.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2011/10/113-42/a-spiritual-vision-for-prison-reform - Amos, James, “I feel Compelled to Write this Testimony in Order to Show that…”, 9/20/1982, Christian Science Sentinel. A returned citizen describes how he found Christian Science in prison and was healed of deep drug addiction that had persisted for over 20 years and a heart condition and how he became a productive member of society and a church member after his release.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1982/9/84-38/i-feel-compelled-to-write-this-testimony-in-order-to-show-that - Rose, Cebastien, “Light in the Prison”, 11/7/2016, Christian Science Sentinel. A Christian Science Chaplain shares how prayer provided him with an opportunity to see harmony and goodwill prevail when faced with an inmate who loudly and angrily disputed some passages from the Bible Lesson and how he has also witnessed a turnaround in general in acceptance of Christian Science at that institution.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2016/11/118-45/light-in-the-prison - Warmack, Wanda, “Courage in the Prison Compound”, 4/7/2003, Christian Science Sentinel. A young woman in her 20’s just out of graduate school starts a job as a correctional officer in an all-male prison with a lack of confidence and some fear. She soon becomes the subject of a threats on her life by an inmate. She responds with prayer and a deeper sense of love. A complete turnaround occurs in the attitude of the inmate who threatened her.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2003/4/105-14/courage-in-the-prison-compound - Name Withheld, “In 1992 a Friend and Teacher at the Prison Where I am Serving…”, 9/5/1994, Christian Science Sentinel. An inmate who had lived a life of violence and anger and hate for many years finds an entirely different way of life and a spiritual perspective through his study of Christian Science.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1994/9/96-36/in-1992-a-friend-and-teacher-at-the-prison-where-i-m-serving - Interview with Alicia Sanchez Alivarez, “Direct Access to God – Even in Prison”, 4/26/2004, Christian Science Sentinel. A woman wrongfully incarcerated finds true freedom through the study of Christian Science while in prison. In turn this new view leads to physical healing and the overturning of her conviction.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2004/4/106-17/direct-access-to-god-even-in-prison - Taylor, Corey, “An Overwhelming Sense of Peace”, 9/17/2012, Christian Science Sentinel. An inmate with a Baptist/Pentecostal background finds Christian Science while serving a 75-year sentence and it transforms his life in the prison and leads to him becoming a member of The Mother Church.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2012/9/114-38/an-overwhelming-sense-of-peace - Sindayihebura, Gervais, “Christian Science Opens Prison Doors” 1/2/2012, Christian Science Sentinel. An inmate in a prison in Burundi discovers Christian Science through a French Herald and then obtains the help of a Christian Science practitioner. He becomes a devoted student of Christian Science and has a great change in thinking to a more spiritual perspective. He is soon and unexpectedly released and finishes his education and acquires a good job and harmonious life.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2012/1/114-01/christian-science-opens-prison-doors - Scott, Bill, “From Bootlegger to Healer”, 12/5/2011, Christian Science Sentinel. This article is about a person, Ray Olmstead, who became infamous in the Seattle area during Prohibition as “King of the Bootleggers”. A PBS program was made about his life as a bootlegger. In prison he found Christian Science and it transformed his life. After release from prison he went on to become well-known as a Christian Science practitioner who helped others in that capacity for 18 years.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2011/12/113-49/from-bootlegger-to-healer - The Christian Science Monitor Editorial Board, “Getting Up Close with the Criminal Justice System”3/26/2018, Christian Science Sentinel. This brief article highlighted some of the positive developments in the political sphere that were occurring in recent years.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2018/3/120-13/getting-up-close-with-the-criminal-justice-system - Gustin, Amanda, “We Never Failed to Find Listeners”, in the Church Alive section of the Christian Science Journal, Feb. 2011. A short review of some experiences and references to institutional work in early Christian Science history.
https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/2011/2/129-02/we-never-fail-to-find-listeners - Cole, Judy, “A Key to Break Out of Prison” Christian Science Sentinel, 7/7/2008. This was an interview with Judy Cole who was a Christian Science practitioner and was also a former correctional officer. She shares metaphysical truths that are helpful in institutional work.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2008/7/110-27/a-key-to-break-out-of-prison - Hughes, Virginia, “Out of My Comfort Zone – and into the Light” Christian Science Sentinel, 2/28/2011. This article is by a woman who was painfully shy and fairly new to Christian Science when she became a Christian Science institutional chaplain. She describes her experience and the wonderful results she had. https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2011/2/113-09/out-of-my-comfort-zone-and-into-the-light
- Nelson, Jack, “Second Thought”, Christian Science Sentinel, 5/31/1993. This article is about a former Ku Klux Klan who found a totally new perspective in studying the Bible after being imprisoned. This article is not about a Christian Scientist. This man did not discover Christian Science while in prison but was totally changed just through his Bible study.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/1993/5/95-22/second-thought - Priso, Alice, “A Holy Place Here and Now” Christian Science Journal, December 2015. This article was written by a Christian Science practitioner who served as a Christian Science chaplain in a prison in Cameroon in Africa. She describes the very difficult conditions in the prison and the great reception given to Christian Science in the institution and also the big improvement in prison conditions during the time she was serving there.
https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/2015/12/133-12/a-holy-place-here-and-now - Lobl, Tony, Our freedom to not “cling to personality.” June 28, 2021 Christian Science Sentinel. A visiting chaplain needed to be willing to “look beyond the personality of one of the inmates,” and “to see all that is ungodly as completely separate from the one exhibiting ungodliness.”
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1t476tqa3w8?s=e - Gwalter, L. Ivimy, “ Identity” June 1942 Christian Science Journal. Sin in all its forms is belief that man is incomplete, unsatisfied, and that because of his incompleteness he steals, lies, lusts, hates, and murders.”
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/25cd64ok5h2?s=e - Booth, Tim, “He just walked right up to the bars and loved those guys…” August 2011 Christian Science Journal “….I tried to explain why I love the Christian Science chaplaincy so much…but only two words came to my lips: It helps.”
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/5gqbia97je?s=e - Hoerner, Sandra, “As Thyself” August 1968 Christian Science Journal “Beloved, you are God’s own, completely free from sin.” … “And as Love purified my sense of self… self condemnation was dethroned.”
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/1mmven0hxfm?s=e - Simon, Milton “Accepting the True Report” September 1947, Christian Science Journal “Thought illumined by God is never darkened or confused by false reports about man’s present perfect selfhood.”
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/18um4fq6yae?s=e - Alexander, Daniel “How I found the church — and it found me” April 2024, Christian Science Journal “My initial encounter with Christian Science was in prison, where I went to a Christian Science church service just to get out of my cell. At the time I was serving a life sentence for a crime I had not committed, although I had engaged in other criminal activity from an early age.” How I found the church—and it found me / The Christian Science Journal
Each week on CSPS Internet Radio, you’ll find inspiring spiritual ideas that can bring healing to your life, your family, community, and to the world. Enjoy current interviews from people who have found healing and guidance by turning to God. Tune in for a healing message – just click the red button below.