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Recognizing my neighbor rightly
A few years ago, at a public event, I was approached by a man whose appearance indicated values that were wrong and misguided, even repulsive, to me. In my daily spiritual prayerful work, I had been praying about the worth and value of each individual, so it was natural for me to correct my thought immediately and recognize the worth and value of this individual, based on the fact that man is actually the spiritual expression of God.
Focusing inward for a moment, I rapidly and with an open heart recognized, appreciated, and loved the spiritual qualities I knew this individual expressed as God’s image, and I affirmed that his true nature was entirely spiritual. A few moments later I acknowledged the man and spoke to him a bit about his day and found out he lived nearby. A few minutes later I realized he was gone.
Like my own identity, my neighbor’s identity as God’s child is also spiritual, innocent, pure, and complete.
In the current era of diverse and changing values in human society, I have begun looking to God more unreservedly to show me how to love my neighbor, rather than harshly judging him or her. As I’ve prayed, it has come to me that what I know to be true about myself, and what I affirm to be true in prayer about my spiritual identity as God’s child, also applies to my neighbors, no matter who they are.
I have a duty not to reject people in my thought based on what their values seem to be, but to see everyone as part of God’s spiritual creation, to whom I am therefore related and must be able to see spiritually. Like my own identity, my neighbor’s identity as God’s child is also spiritual, innocent, pure, and complete. Correcting our thought in this way about ourselves and our fellow man can have a powerful, purifying effect. Mary Baker Eddy says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “The human concepts named matter, death, disease, sickness, and sin are all that can be destroyed” (p. 426).
Since what is true about my identity also applies to my neighbor’s identity, I can:
Cherish who I am as God’s reflection. Cherish who my neighbor is as God’s reflection.
Recognize and love the spiritual identity God gave me. Recognize and love the spiritual identity God gave my neighbor.
Know that because God is the only real Mind, I am an idea in Mind. My neighbor is an idea in Mind.
Value my spiritual nature and divine Love’s excellent, blessed purpose for me, which I see demonstrated in blessing others. Value my neighbor and Love’s excellent, blessed purpose for my neighbor.
Affirm that I am loved, lovable, loving. Affirm that my neighbor is loved, lovable, loving.
Spiritual sense reveals that we live in God’s kingdom now, in which creation is pure, innocent, and spiritually attuned. Look and see God’s spiritual man right in front of you. We are surrounded by God’s innocent children, and our spiritual sense can see that, and anything that claims otherwise is not true of ourselves or others. Divine Love shows us how to love our neighbor, and “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).