Watching Point 494

494 — WATCH that you realize that it is a highly dangerous thing to be a Christian Science practitioner, if in dealing with illusions you become unwatchful and permit your thought to be inoculated with a sense of their reality. Error’s only method of operating is mental inoculation. In the 16th edition of our textbook Mrs. Eddy wrote, “You will also learn that the transfer of mental pictures, from one mortal mind to another, tends to a speedy inoculation with the virus of error.” Everything about a case of sickness tends to inoculate one with falsity. It is dangerous to be a lifesaver, because a drowning man will sometimes try to drown his would-be rescuer.

Often a patient feels that a practitioner will do better work if the latter can only be made to feel how serious the patient’s condition is. Once a patient actually said to her practitioner, “I cannot seem to make you realize how serious my condition is, and how sick I am.” He replied, “If you can, then you had better get another practitioner, because I will not be able to help you!”

The practitioner who does his work well is under the greatest protection of anyone on earth, since he does his work under the care of the Most High, and gains his protection by extending good to others. He is in danger only when, as a result of treating many patients over the years, he becomes weary in welldoing, and so neglects to clean house thoroughly after every case.