Article July 18, 1903 Issue

The Real and the Unreal Man

J. D. K.

Holy Writ abounds in explanation of the difference between the real man—God's image and likeness—and the unreal or material man. The real man, we are told, is that product of the seed of Divinity which can never bring forth anything less than perfection; while the unreal man is a product of mortal belief, which must be lost sight of in order to bring out the real. The real man, or God's image, has the grandest and noblest of missions to his fellow-man; viz., to reflect his Creator. When we can realize this, we begin to understand what is brought to bear upon one whom we wish to help into a life of health and holiness.

We as Christian Scientists should so reflect divine Love as to create an atmosphere of holiness all around us, which would bring Truth to the consciousness of others to such an extent as to dispel every form of error. The unreal man,—"the liar in whom is no truth,"—when allowed to predominate in our consciousness, presents to the world the opacity of a solid body which completely hides that image and reflection of "the One altogether lovely!" and instead of being a blessing, such an one is a curse to his fellow-man, depriving him of the light of Truth which he has a right to demand from one who calls himself a Christian Scientist.

If one could only realize what it means to live a selfless life! One who is thus living in harmony with his Principle, cannot be disturbed by the criticisms of others, for the real self cannot be touched. Man stands in the same relation to his material manifestation,—which is all his enemies can reach,—as the Christ stood to Jesus whom the Jews put to death in order to exterminate the divine Principle which actuated him. The selfless man has no dealings with anger, hate, jealousy, or with any link in that chain of evils which is welded together by the belief of materiality. It is impossible to conceive of one who is truly actuated by the truth of the Christ Science as indulging in unkind feeling toward even the meanest of his fellow-men. He should remember that the pure in heart see God in all mankind. The spirit of criticism must be entirely eliminated from the life that is "hid with Christ in God."

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