The future of Christian Science

A while back, while pondering the declining membership I’ve seen in many branch churches of the Christian Science movement, the question beckoned for attention in my mind, “What if the world no longer had Christian Science? Would it matter?”

To even consider the possibility of a world void of Christian Science teaching was depressing and disheartening because of the huge blessings I’ve seen it bring into my life and of many others. In a world overrun by materialistic ways of thinking and reasoning, the expansive spiritual perspective Christian Science offers is needed more than ever. But I learned much in arguing with the question, because it needed an answer and I know many other followers of the faith have agonized with the same.

Interestingly, as I wrestled with the question, “What if the world no longer had Christian Science?” I learned a lesson in how mortal mind works to deceive and mislead. As I reasoned, the question didn’t make sense. The implication of the question appeared impossible.

Let me explain.

The query implies that Christian Science can be lost in the first place. This will never happen. Why? Because Christian Science is not a human theory, an inspired woman’s personal sense of things, a temporal theology, a fading institution, or anything else human mind made. Christian Science explains how the universe works.

Jesus Christ understood better than anyone since his time how the universe works. Jesus understood primal cause, ultimate effect, the reality of good, and the unreality of evil. Jesus could make sense of anything and everything. He understood why things happened in the world the way they did, and what the outcome would be. He understood where he came from and where he was going. He saw the future of humanity and of himself. He understood life and death. He had the cosmos and operation of it all figured out better than Einstein, Descartes, Aristotle, Plato, and any other philosopher, scientist or observer. Jesus had the Mind of God guiding, inspiring and leading him.

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science, saw clearly in the Bible and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ what Jesus understood all along—how the universe works. For the sake of identification, she gave her discovery a name—Christian Science.

Christian Science is not a fad or passing fancy of the human mind that serves a temporal purpose than moves into the background while a new fad or way of thinking takes the lead. Christian Science explains how the universe works, what makes it tick and who is in charge. These facts never change. They are absolute.

For people who believe Christian Science is an institution, woman-made theory, or passing craze, the question, “What if the world no longer had Christian Science?” appears to be a plausible question. But for the thinker who understands Christian Science in its proper light, as explaining how the universe works spiritually, the question is illogical and falsely premised.

Christian Science isn’t going anywhere. It’s how things work.

Everyone, for the most part, is seeking truth to some degree in their life. A sincere mother strives to understand how to raise her children better. This is pursuit of truth. A rocket scientist searches his equations for solutions to send spaceships further into space. This is pursuit of truth. A caring politician prays for ways to better serve his or her constituency. This is a pursuit of truth. A growing infant struggles with her first baby steps in obedience to nature’s impulse to walk. This is pursuit of truth.

The pursuit of truth is ingrained into the nature of man as time rolls on. It will never stop. And because Christian Science explains and defines truth, everyone, everywhere on planet earth, and for all time to come, will be struggling, wrestling and eventually succeeding in their effort to understand what Christian Science has been teaching all along—the truth of all things.

My worry and fear of loss instantly lifted. The future of Christian Science is extremely bright. It’s not a relic of the 19th century. It’s not the outcome of one historic woman’s extremely successful healing ministry that has been largely forgotten. It’s not destined to be plopped into the dustbin of irrelevancy. It’s how the universe works, and since the universe isn’t going anywhere, and people are going to keep living in it and wanting to understand it better, Christian Science isn’t going anywhere either. It’s been here before time began, and will remain forever after time ends. It explains how the universe works, and that's a fixed reality no one can get away from.