Article January 10, 1942 Issue

Identity

GEORGE C. PALMER

Christian Science teaches that all true identity is eternal, and that what does not originate in the one source, God, is illusion. No idea of God can be contaminated, adulterated, or express material limitations. Spiritual thoughts unfold to us as we cherish them and adhere to divine Principle; they manifest strength and intelligence, and include no evil foreign element. God's ideas express every characteristic of their great cause. Divine Love says, "I AM THAT I AM," and its image necessarily reflects true Being. The beliefs that seem to present themselves for human acceptance as personal fears and human opinions are vague, undependable conjectures, not scientific truths. That alone can be depended on which has its source in eternal Mind and expresses Spirit.

In Bunyan's famous allegory, when the pilgrim found himself "in the valley of the shadow of death" it was so dark he could see neither before nor behind. It was difficult also to keep his feet on the straight and narrow way because of a quagmire on one side and a deep ditch on the other, neither of which could be seen for the blackness around. All at once, in Bunyan's imagery, "just when he was come over against the mouth of the burning Pit, one of the wicked ones got behinde him, and stept up softly to him, and whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies" to the pilgrim, which greatly distressed him, as he thought they came from his own heart and that he was now a traitor to God.

The book was written many years ago, but Bunyan saw something of what Christian Science clearly teaches, namely, that evil is never a part of man's true identity. When we hold in thought the true concept of God, and utilize this understanding, we begin to realize that this true identity is His manifestation. The evil whisperings were not part of the pilgrim's real selfhood, and therefore he was able to reject them. As we learn to abide "in the secret place of the most High," we perceive man's true identity, and know that the spiritual idea cannot be harmed.

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