Giving Freely – A change in motive brings big results

I’ve been thinking lately about what CSO’s give to college campuses. There is a provision for CSOs in the Christian Science Manual—a document written by Mary Baker Eddy. In law school we often consider the intent of the authors of a given law. In my work with CSOs, I consider what Mrs. Eddy’s intent was in her provisions in the Manual  for CSOs. I think Mrs. Eddy saw a great opportunity to share Christian Science in a unique setting. College campuses are places where students are finding their identities and are able to explore new ideas. College campuses are also places were independent thinking is encouraged, research is done, new ideas are tested. Thinking about these things, I can see why Mary Baker Eddy valued the college campus setting as a place to share Christian Science. I love working with the local CSOs. I have found that the work is refreshing. I feel more energized when I give freely of my time and energy with the CSO.

I love the never-ending supply implied in the verse “Freely ye have received, freely give.” I have seen this proven in a CSO I have worked with recently. At one event, the CSO was hoping to get just 20 people to sign up. They needed 20 interested people to be recognized by the university club organization. During that event, during a religious group fair, the CSO had many people attend the event and got their 20 interested people, but not many more. During the most recent event, held during the same religious awareness week, the CSO’s focus shifted—not to collect a ton of interested students’ emails, but to give freely. The CSO wanted to give a gift to the community—FREELY! The event was received very well. In fact more than 400 people attended. More than 200 signed up to receive more information about the CSO’s future events. It was an overwhelming response. Later the CSO president shared with me how he had broadened his view from getting a certain number of people interested, to freely giving a gift to anyone that walked by.

I think the CSO, during the second event, had the kind of attitude Mary Baker Eddy intended for CSOs. Giving freely to the college campus takes any sense of self out the equation (including self-consciousness when sharing Christian Science with our contemporaries). I love working with CSOs and I hope you do too!