Interesting question! When I first came across this question, my initial thought was to try to pick a number – an age that I would like to be – and to think of myself as that age. Then I realised that I didn’t want to be the me that I was back then. I’ve learned too much in meantime. The next question that occurred to me was: What if I didn’t attribute a number to myself at all? How would I feel if I thought of myself as ageless? That’s a very freeing concept!
Never record ages. Chronological data are no part of the vast forever. Time-tables of birth and death are so many conspiracies against manhood and womanhood. Except for the error of measuring and limiting all that is good and beautiful, man would enjoy more than threescore years and ten and still maintain his vigor, freshness, and promise.
This is interesting to think through and liberating to put into practice. Christian Science helps me to do this.
Christian Science is based on the Bible. It provides important truths that help us live harmonious and productive lives. In the book of Genesis we are told that man is made in the image of God – that we are God’s likeness. God, we are also told, is Spirit – not a material being. This means that man’s true nature is spiritual. Spirit doesn’t age.
Our society gives common consent to ageing. We are conditioned to expect to slow down as the years go by, to be physically less able. How often do we hear people say when they have aches and pains: What can you expect at my age? We can take back this permission by claiming our agelessness – ageless because we are spiritual, the image of God who never ages, never tires, never wears out.
I have proved this often. Once, after not having been on a horse for many decades, I did an eight-hour day of horse riding. I was allocated a large frisky mount that challenged my strength all day. By the end of the ride every muscle in my body screamed and ached, and I could hardly move. As I lay moaning I realised that I had given myself permission to be affected by this. So, I mentally took back permission by reminding myself that as the likeness of God, Spirit, I could say ‘No’ to this situation. I dwelt on this and trusted these thoughts. Within half an hour all pain and tiredness had left. I participated fully in the evening’s activities and remained completely free.
Nowadays when people ask me how old I am, I reply that I try not to have a number. Without a number, I can be the ageless me – free and healthy.
This article, submitted by a member of the Canberra Christian Science community, was first published in the 21 May issue of the Canberra Weekly.
A material body only expresses a material and mortal mind. A mortal man possesses this body, and he makes it harmonious or discordant according to the images of thought impressed upon it. You embrace your body in your thought, and you should delineate upon it thoughts of health, not of sickness.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p208:25)
Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true, and you will bring these into your experience proportionably to their occupancy of your thoughts.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p261:4)
The true meaning of Easter is wondrous! Its message promises blessings to each one of us and to our world. To hide it behind bunnies and eggs, secularism and skepticism, is saddening.
Jesus was crucified by the materialistic world’s hatred of his goodness. The world tried to silence his holy message of love. But how he reacted to such evil intent was an example to us all. He responded with the lovingkindness, calmness and confidence that could only come from the deepest understanding that evil cannot conquer goodness any more than darkness can conquer light.
For three days it seemed like evil had won. Then, when even the disciples had given up hope, Jesus emerged from the tomb alive.
In the resurrection, Jesus proved that there is life beyond what we see, like someone journeying on after they have sailed out of our sight. It’s like writing a number fact on a page, say 2+2=4. If we destroy the page, the truth that the fact expresses is not destroyed. It is eternally true and untouched. Jesus showed us that each one of us has just such an eternally true identity, something that the outward appearance only hints at, something that never dies. What a glorious message.
Jesus also showed that to react with love instead of hate or anger, disempowers evil. Hatred and evil, being a lack of love, can no more stand in the face of divine Love than the darkest night can stand in the presence of the light of the dawn. Not responding to evil with evil stops evil from spreading. That’s why Jesus countered an ‘eye for an eye’ with ‘turn the other cheek’. Is this not a message the world needs to remember and live by? Is this not a message that could bring peace to our world? Is this not the ‘Golden Rule’ – ‘do to others as you would have them do to you’?
The true meaning of Easter is of the utmost importance to our own lives and to the world. If we remember it in our hearts and live it in our lives, then that precious sacrifice made by Jesus will not be lost sight of, but remain as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago.
This article was published in the 26 March issue of the Canberra Weekly.
Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother,
(The Bible KJV – Malachi 2: 10)
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
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. Choke these errors in their early stages, if you would not cherish an army of conspirators against health, happiness, and success.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p405: 5)
Miracle. That which is divinely natural, but must be learned humanly; a phenomenon of Science.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p591)
The mission of Jesus confirmed prophecy, and explained the so-called miracles of olden time as natural demonstrations of the divine power, demonstrations which were not understood.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy p131)
Today, more than any other time, we have access to what feels like an infinite stream of information. YouTube videos are available to give us instructions on everything from tying our shoelaces to building a house. Opinions are proffered like facts. Influencers share their ‘wisdom’ on every aspect of life. Digital platforms with ideological agendas have the power to shape individual and public opinion. AI-generated content looks real, but isn’t, and misinformation can spread more easily than truth. Is there a reliable way to find truth, to discern which ideas have integrity and value and which don’t deserve our attention?
The statement: ‘The time for thinkers has come’ is from the opening page of the textbook of Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. It was written 150 years ago by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. Even back then Eddy recognised the need for us to show wisdom, to be discerning, to sift fact from fiction and opinion.
Christian Science provides an invaluable guide in this respect. It teaches that the term God means the rules that make life work harmoniously. It teaches that God is Love. If ideas and actions come from a place of kindness, respect, unselfishness, forgiveness then they are based in Love and deserve our attention and support because these are the qualities that make life worthwhile.
Christian Science also teaches that God is Principle. If ideas and actions promote lawfulness, justice, fairness, discipline, steadfastness, trustworthiness, diligence, efficiency, stability in ourselves and society, then these are ideas with integrity.
When we recognise God as infinite Mind then ideas and actions that represent the qualities of divine Mind have value. Intelligence, wisdom, understanding, perception, alertness, insight, innovation, curiosity, inventiveness are the qualities that add value to ourselves and our communities.
God is also known as Spirit. Are new ideas directing us towards consumerism and materiality or are they lifting thought towards more enlightened thinking? Do they give a sense of peace and joy?
Knowing God in these ways not only makes God relevant to everyday life but also gives us the ability to be critical thinkers, to sift through the daily avalanche of information, to recognise which ideas have integrity and deserve our attention, and which do not. This is how we become the thinkers that the world has need of.
This article was originally published in the January 22, 2026 issue of the Canberra Weekly. It was written by a member of the Christian Science community in Canberra.
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