Article January 11, 1975 Issue

No Need to Change Others

MARY WALLS KUHL

Have you ever known someone you wanted to change? If so, perhaps it was because of certain personality traits that rubbed you the wrong way. Or perhaps you and the other person had totally different viewpoints on subjects very important to you. It's not surprising that people have different points of view. But sometimes when each person holds rigorously and defensively to his own position, conflicts occur. Christian Science can help us surmount such barriers.

No matter what opinions, tastes, or beliefs someone seems to hold, everyone, in reality, is a spiritual idea of God. As we strive to see others as Godlike, we must see them as good, as expressing God in all ways. Mrs. Eddy says of man: "He is the compound idea of God, including all right ideas." Science and Health, p. 475; This doesn't leave room for negative, irritating characteristics, for God couldn't create anything unlike Himself. And no good quality can be left out of His complete expression.

If we're not seeing and loving God's expression, we're not loving God or consciously being His reflection. In proportion as we love we are letting our true identity shine out. We are fulfilling our mission of being God's representative. Only then are we really living. When we put aside not wanting to see good in someone, our innate spiritual sense is freed to show us glorious new views of that individual.

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