by Jules Cern

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Harmonizing Human Experiences

At this point one might say, "Well, all of that may be true in some future heaven, but what good does it do right now, when we are faced with human problems?" Let us see.

During World War II, a young student of Christian Science was going through the rigors of training camp. He had been placed under the command of one of those specimens called a tough sergeant. Apparently, this sergeant was exceptionally ruthless, and even sadistic.

The Christian Scientist tried to apply the teachings of Christian Science to the situation, but his prayers and affirmations of Truth seemed to be of no avail. Several times each day he would affirm that the sergeant was a spiritual idea of God, the perfect image and likeness of divine Love. But the more he prayed, the tougher the sergeant became.

Finally, in desperation, the young man sought the help of a Christian Science practitioner. After relating the circumstances to the practitioner, and telling in detail how he was praying, it became evident to the practitioner why the young soldier's prayers were ineffectual. He had been trying to see a mortal as God's spiritual idea. Whereas, he needed to see God's spiritual idea instead of a mortal. He had been trying to see the sergeant as the image and likeness of God. Whereas, he needed to see the image and likeness of God instead of a sergeant. He had been trying to change a bad mortal into a good mortal. Whereas, he needed to change his own thought from believing that identity is mortal, good or bad. He had been believing that he was a mortal among mortals, being abused by another mortal. Whereas, he needed to realize that he was a spiritual idea among spiritual ideas, in the omnipresence of Spirit, in the atmosphere of divine Love, under the loving command of God, the only Mind there is. He had been trying to love a mortal, which is not man. Whereas, he needed to love God's completely spiritual idea, which is man. He had been trying to eliminate discordant mortality, discordant or otherwise.

True prayer is not praying for God's, Spirit's, allness to heal a material situation. It is the humble acceptance of Spirit's perfect allness and man's completely perfect, spiritual identity, instead of a material situation. The tendency is to pray for material results, but the effectual prayer is the acknowledgment of God's ever-present allness and perfection, which produces the results.

After the practitioner had explained some of the preceding points, the young soldier returned to his barracks with renewed confidence and understanding.

The following morning, the sergeant started off just as brutally as ever. But the student of Christian Science was mentally untouched. He knew that mortality, good or bad, could not tell him anything about man's true identity. He had resolved that he could not be fooled into believing that identity is physical, even if the sergeant reversed his tactics, and offered the trainees ice cream and cake. So even though the sergeant began the day with his customary diabolical orders, the Christian Scientist persisted in thanking God for filling that very place and all place with unopposed Love.

Then something happened which had never occurred during his Army experience. For the first time, a high-ranking officer observed how the sergeant was abusing the trainees. He immediately ordered a halt to it, and gave the sergeant a loud and vigorous reprimand. And the next day—they had a new sergeant.

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