Article August 14, 1989 Issue

In Principle nothing is small

How big is integrity? Does morality change size? How is something done well, done forever?

Susan Dane Gilboy

I wasn't too surprised when my son returned home very sad from school one day. He had insisted on taking a favorite magic trick with him to show his friends in spite of my strong encouragement not to. One of the pieces, a miniature copper penny, had been lost on the playground.

It was an ideal opportunity for some gentle self-examination. My son told me that something inside him had said not to take the trick to school but that he had taken it because of the power he felt when doing the trick in front of his friends. As we discussed man's spiritual identity as God's expression, though, he soon came up with more appropriate reasons to perform the trick—such as sharing the fun of magic with the other children.

When we considered God as divine Principle, Truth, I helped him see that no matter how small an incident, God's universal care applies and governs in our lives. My son had already learned through earlier experiences that honest prayer makes divine law evident in everyday situations, adjusting and healing where there's a need. In this case, he was ready to see and correct his mistakes, trusting in God's absolute control.

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