Editorial January 3, 1976 Issue

Speaking of People

Naomi Price

The doorman knew everyone who worked in the office building, but not always by name. When asked if he had seen Miss Green come in, he didn't know, so the inquirer began to describe her—her height, weight, and the color of her hair. "Oh, you mean that lovely lady who always has such a nice smile. Whatever the weather, she says 'Good morning' as though she really means it." The description fitted Miss Green exactly. At once they knew they were referring to the same person and were happy to think together of the good she expressed.

The way we think and speak of people is very important. The identity of man is actually spiritual, not material. Yet if we are not watchful, all too often we find ourselves describing someone in physical terms—and frequently in not particularly complimentary ones—instead of in ways that show we see his true identity in the good, spiritual qualities he expresses, and recognize that any negative physical or mental traits we may notice are false.

Christ Jesus recommended to his followers, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."^{John 7:24;} We can hardly think of him as describing someone as "the man with the withered hand" or "the woman taken in adultery." Though he recognized the needs of those who came to him, through his Christly ability to discern true, spiritual being he looked beyond the false concept of man and woman as imperfect mortals to see their actual identities as reflections of divine Principle, Love. It was by means of this correct identification that he elevated people's thought of themselves and healed them of both physical and moral disabilities.

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