Christian Science Operating in Madrid and Everywhere

by Susie Rynerson

Sitting in my hostel in Madrid and praying about Church, I asked God what I needed to know. The idea came that Christian Science was already and eternally operative, there in all of Madrid, in all of Spain, and in all the world.

Counting the number of people in Churches of Christ, Scientist might lead one to say that idea doesn’t quite “add up.” But recently, I had been studying the platform of Christian Science, which begins on page 330 of Science and Health. The very first point includes the statement, “Neither God nor the perfect man can be discerned by the material senses. The individuality of Spirit, or the infinite, is unknown, and thus a knowledge of it is left either to human conjecture or to the revelation of divine Science.”

That made me put aside what was humanly visible and reason from a spiritual perspective: an infinite, loving Father-Mother must be revealing Him/Herself to all of His/Her children in a constant, reliable/scientific way, and nobody can mess that up, miss it nor limit it. I really cherished that idea for quite awhile, and felt comforted by it.

The next day, as I was sitting in an internet cafe, two young boys came in, put newspapers in front of me and asked if I wanted to buy them. Though they were a bit pushy, I politely said, “No, thank you,” and they left without incident.

The interaction seemed strange, so I wondered about it as I continued reading my email. About ten minutes later, it dawned on me – they had robbed me. The cafe attendant had warned me earlier to put away personal items, yet I had taken out a credit card for an online transaction and had left my wallet on the table right next to my keyboard. The boys had distracted me, covered the line of sight to my wallet and grabbed it.

I had to travel to another country in two days, yet all of my credit cards, ID and cash were in the wallet and I was not at home. Though I could cancel the cards online, I was going to need them in my travels. Perplexed but not angry, I thought, “I should call a Christian Science Practitioner.” I pulled out my phone to do so, and it rang. I didn’t recognize the incoming number, yet immediately the thought came, “This is my practitioner.”

The man on the phone said he had found my wallet under a car, and gave me an address to come pick it up since he couldn’t leave work. The cafe attendant gave me money to buy a train pass, and soon I was face-to-face with a gracious, humble carpenter in his sawdust-filled basement shop. He returned my tattered wallet with all contents minus cash. He refused a reward and simply said he hoped I wouldn’t have a bad impression of Madrid. I thanked him profusely, asked for his business card, and said I would recommend his work to anyone.

I thanked God all the way home and all evening, and upon waking the next morning, my first thought was that this experience was the direct result of prayer. This man had responded to the universal operation of Christian Science. As Science and Health says, “Christian Science commands man to master the propensities, – to hold hatred in abeyance with kindness, to conquer lust with chastity, revenge with charity, and to overcome deceit with honesty.” This man had participated in the practice of Christian Science by overcoming deceit with honesty. I too had participated by only thinking and acting kindly toward everyone involved. I knew the boys would feel this healing influence. Most of all, God had triumphed and revealed Himself once again, as ever-present, ever-operative and all-encompassing in care.