Article December 8, 1917 Issue

The Image of God

DUNCAN SINCLAIR

Most people are familiar with these words from the first chapter of Genesis: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him." It is questionable, however, if very many have realized or perhaps even endeavored to grasp their meaning. God has been so undefined to them that they have rarely stopped to consider the nature of His image; the material sense of themselves and of things has bulked so large with them as to have obscured, temporarily at least, the import of the quotation. But there it stands, one of the most inspired utterances ever made to mankind, a bright star of truth shining resplendent over the darkened world of materialism.

Mrs. Eddy writes, "Infinite Mind is the creator, and creation is the infinite image or idea emanating from this Mind" (Science and Health, p. 256). Christian Science takes for granted the existence of God as infinite Mind; or, to put it differently, spiritual sense reveals the fact of God's existence as infinite Mind or Spirit. Now, since God is infinite, He is the only cause or creator; and not only so, but creation must be the complete expression of Himself. The view generally held by mankind is that God, whom they admit to be spiritual, created a universe of a material nature, that is, a universe with unspiritual qualities, nonintelligent, and controlled by so-called material or nonspiritual laws. It must be apparent that such a view separates God from His creation, because it cannot be held that infinite intelligence can cooperate with that which purports to be its opposite. This theory of creation Christian Science shows to be utterly wrong and to be based on entirely false beliefs about the nature of God. Christian Science says that in considering the question of creation, the nature of God should never be lost sight of, in order that correct conclusions may be reached.

In arriving at correct conclusions about creation much help is derived from the use of the symbol. The word image is frequently used in Christian Science to illustrate the true sense of creation. And what is an image in the ordinary use of the term? If an object is set before a plane mirror, an image is seen as if it were in the mirror. The image appears to reproduce the object exactly; and if the latter is moved, the image moves with it. In fact the image enables one to know what the object is like even when the object itself is invisible. But let the object be removed from before the mirror and the image vanishes. The image owes its presence entirely to that of the object. That is precisely how it is with God's creation. Creation is the image of God, infinite Mind. It is an exact reproduction of Mind and includes Mind's ideas. It shows forth all the qualities of Mind, the creative Principle.

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