(Written by John Wellsman)
Some years ago a business associate and friend often queried me regarding Christian Science. I knew this individual was sincerely trying to understand what Christian Science was all about. More often than not, though, his queries came down to, "Okay, Christian Science may be good for little ailments--like colds or whatnot--but what would you do if you were really, really sick?" Many Christian Scientists have probably faced similar queries.
Though I always assured him that I knew I could trust Christian Science treatment under any circumstance and that I would always rely on prayer for healing, these encounters always left me feeling more than a little on the defensive no matter how vigorously I declared my faith. Quite honestly, I sometimes found myself almost dreading these interrogations. However, since this individual was a good friend and I was convinced of the sincerity of his quieries, I prayed to know how to respond in a way that would answer his need.
One day when he renewed his inquiry, I found myself responding by asking him a question: "I've toldlyou what I would do if faced with a serious health issue, now let me ask you: what would lyou do if you went to your doctor and he ran all sorts of tests and then informed you that you had some incurable terminal disease and there was nothing medical science could do for you?"
There was a moment or two of stunned silence. I could tell that this individual had never before had to come to terms with the possibility that anything like that could actually happen with medical treatment. Shortly he responded quietly, "I guess I'd pray." So I said, "Exactly."
Pondering this incident, I realized that this friend, and perhaps many who pursue this line of, "What would you do if...?" questioning are not really asking what we as Christian Scientists would actually do for ourselves, but rather they're asking if they could trust prayer for themselves. Unless brought up short by the realization of the medical field's shortcomings, they may not be able to grasp the real potential of prayer. Interestingly, despite the fact that over the intervening years, I have discussed Christian Science with many individuals, I have rarely, if ever, been subjected to this kind of "what if...?" questioning.
There is certainly Biblical precedent for this kind of response. For example, Jesus when confronted by the Pharisees regarding the adulterous woman could have responded with a discourse on the woman's prefect sinless identity, etc., etc. But would that have defused the situation? Probably not. Instead, Jesus put the ball squarely in the Pharisees' court by saying, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." This is found in John, chapter 8, verse 7. This broke the mesmerism of ignorant bigotry and hatred.
