Spotlight on Spirituality & Health

Authored by the Christian Science Committee on Publication for Washington State

Spirituality and prisoners of war: the ultimate freedom on Veterans day

November 14, 2014 By washingtoncommittee Leave a Comment

It was near dusk when I read the granite-carved inscription about those who served in the Pacific and wished my Uncle Wally could have been there with me. Quietly remembering what he told me about his imprisonment brought tears to my eyes. I’ll never forget the WWII veteran I met there that day and the heartfelt embrace we shared as I thanked him for his service. Uncle Wally would have appreciated the National WWII Memorial. He wanted their sacrifice to be remembered.

Wally Zergman
Wally Zergman

What he and the other prisoners of war endured was unspeakable and although my uncle was stricken with multiple diseases for over three years, he survived. He mentally never stopped fighting. His determined expectation that he would get through this along with an undaunted sense of humor highlights how important our thoughts can be. A book I found called “The Ultimate Freedom” describes the potential of how our thinking impacts our experience in greater detail.

Author John Wyndham also spent years as a Japanese prisoner of war and credits his spiritual approach to his survival. As he’d learned from his practice as a Christian Scientist, Wyndham quickly turned to God when he was captured and put under immediate threat of execution. He responded by refusing to become fearful, resentful or to hate his captors. In his book he writes,

“Oh, yes, my mental struggles were at times severe, especially when I let the grimness of my empty cell, the barred window, and the occasional sounds of wailing impress themselves on me. Nevertheless, it was daily becoming more apparent to me that my real life was not in, or dependent on a physical body, nor at the mercy of adverse or cruel circumstances…I glimpsed the truth of the Biblical statement, ‘In him (that is, in God) we live, and move, and have our being’ (Acts 17:28).”

The Ultimate Freedom
The Ultimate Freedom

Wyndham’s uplifted thought and trust in the Divine not only freed him from the terror surrounding him, it kept him healthy and safe. Like my uncle, he lost considerable weight from lack of food, but he never became diseased, sick or hateful during his imprisonment. As he focused his thought on seeing God’s goodness in his life, more good became apparent including expressions of kindness and respect from his captors.

After the war, Wyndham went on to work at the United Nations before devoting his full-time to healing others as a Christian Science practitioner. He summed up his thoughts on ending war with this statement,“Over the ages, human efforts to bring peace to mankind have proved inadequate. Spiritualization of thought is mankind’s only path to peace.”

This article was first published on Blogcritics.org

Bill Scott is a health writer who serves as the media and government liaison for Christian Science in Washington State.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Christian Science, John Wyndham, National WWII Memorial, Prisoners of War, Spirituality, Veterans

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Professionally, I'm a licensed architect in both Washington and California State. I love architecture, but when it comes to priorities, it’s hard to top good health. That’s why I’ve shifted my interest from the physical to the mental environment that we abide in. My articles focus on presenting helpful ideas regarding the important connection between what we think and our health. I’ve been writing for Blogcritics and other online and print publications since 2011 and I was published in the international medical/science journal, "Global Advances in Health and Medicine" in 2012. I also serve as the media and legislative liaison for Christian Science in Washington State. Feel free to contact me at: washington@compub.org, 206-349-1229 or on Twitter @WilliamEdScott.
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Archives

  • May 2016
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • February 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • June 2013
  • August 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • March 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • November 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • January 2008
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • April 2006
  • January 2006
  • August 2005
Copyright © 2016 ComPub Washington / Privacy Policy / Terms of Service