Mobile Reading Room on bus

I have retired now, but the last four years that I worked at UNC-Charlotte, I rode the bus. The ride was about one hour long, and gave me a chance to read the lesson going to UNC-Charlotte, and again on the way home. I didn't realize that people were reading over my shoulder. You see, I often sat opposite the rear door, and the level of the seats beyond that point are higher than the front part of the bus. If someone was reading something seated at my spot the person seated in the next row could read what you were reading. Well one day, while reading the lesson, a young lady asked, "How can I get that"? I explained about how it could be purchased over the internet, or by going to a Christian Science Reading Room. She responded again, "but how can I get that?" I said, "you mean you would like my copy?" she said, "yes". Well, I handed over my copy of the lesson, and I want you to know that lady was beaming as she got off the bus. At that moment an idea came about a new way of sharing Christian Science with my neighbors.

Now knowing that people could read over my shoulder, I made an effort to sit at that location when ever that seat was free. Over the four years I rode the bus, several others asked about C.S. because of what they were reading over my shoulder. One man asked for the lesson once, and then came back every week wanting to know if he could received a copy. It came to the point that we just ran off an extra copy to share and when I saw him on Monday, I would smile and hand him a copy of the Weekly Bible Lesson. He was from Africa, and because of a job change we didn't keep up sharing the lesson, but he did receive a copy every week for months as well as a Sentinel after we had finished reading it. Every so often at a Christian Science Wed Testimony Service, I would share my "Testimony from the Bus", where I would share a story about some event that had happened on the bus.

One such happening involved a street person. She was a lady that would ride the bus from time to time. One time she got on the bus and she really smelled very bad. My first thought was to move away like several others already had. Then I started to think about what Jesus would have been seeing if he were in my place. You know I just couldn't see this person or any person, as anything other than the image and likeness of God. I got so wrapped up in this thinking, that I forgot the smell. Well, several weeks went by and I hadn't seen this person riding the bus, when someone got on who was well dressed, and I realized that it was the same woman I had seen earlier. I would like to say that she wasn't the same person at all, but she was. She was the person she had always really been. I hadn't worked for her, I had worked to see everyone as God's perfect image and likeness. This type of prayer does bring harmony into our lives in tangible ways that we can see.

Now that I am retired, I no longer ride the bus like I used to. But there are always ways for us to be able to share Christian Science. I never planned for any of this. It just naturally happened. One point I would like to add. When I left for work on the bus, over half of the people on their way to work were reading some form of Bible study. They had items similar to our Sentinel and many had a Bible open in their lap. Some people have expressed fear of riding the bus, but where can you ever go that God isn't already there? And if you ride the bus every day, it can become a Christian Science Reading Room on wheels. And, I now have started serving in a Christian Science Reading Room where I am ready to serve who ever comes through that door.
-Chuck