Editorial January 20, 1968 Issue

Spiritual Combinations

Helen Wood Bauman

Two things stand out in considering the nature of man: his unity as an identity and his combinations with other identities in magnifying the beauty and power of God, or Mind. One sees this illustrated in the chord in which individual tones are not lost but unite in producing beautiful music. Christian Science helps us work out the associations of identities in ways that are scientific and satisfying and that give, joy and strength to human life.

Mary Baker Eddy makes this statement in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "The divine Mind maintains all identities, from a blade of grass to a star, as distinct and eternal."^{Science and Health p. 70;} Take a blade of grass as an illustration of our theme. No blade of grass, even materially considered, can exchange its identity with that of another blade. But one blade by itself could display little beauty. In combination with millions of other blades, however, it is part of a beautiful expanse of lawn, green and refreshing to the sight. The original blade loses none of its characteristics in this combination. Likewise, no individual should ever lose the distinctness of his identity but should endeavor to reveal it in its relation with others.

Real identity is spiritual, a selfhood outlined by Mind, never misty or uncertain of itself, always contented to be itself. While one's identity, which is the image of God, is inseparable from Mind, it is never lost through this relationship. It is never absorbed by its creative Principle but eternally and distinctly expresses it; and it is never absorbed by other identities.

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