I didn't notice until after I sat down to eat my lunch that the cafeteria cashier had given me the wrong change. When I brought the extra change back to her, she was a little surprised, and at first she was reluctant to take it. After all, it was only a few cents. But when she saw that it was important to me for her to take it, she graciously accepted it.

Flagrant lapses of integrity often dominate the news, but that doesn't mean integrity has gone out of style. Far from it. I don't think my instinct at that moment was at all exceptional. Instances of honesty and fairness play out over and over again in the everyday lives of people all over the globe.

So why was returning a few cents to the cashier so important to me? Well, for one thing, I was pretty sure she would be held accountable for the change in her register at the end of her shift, and could likely have had to make up for any shortfall out her own pocket. More than that, though, it was simply the right thing to do. And even more. For me, it was a matter of being true to a universal source of integrity that connects all people beneficially. Let me explain.

I've come to realize that the integrity that springs up within human beings—the desire to do what's right, the discernment to know what is right, and the ability to follow through with honorable actions—flows from the connection we all have with our common Creator, the divine Principle of the universe, called God. In spite of incidents pointing to a contrary conclusion, integrity actually is the discoverable and demonstrable true nature of everyone. This realization has come to me through a spiritual understanding of the incorruptible integrity of God—as revealed in the Bible and clearly explained in the writings of Mary Baker Eddy.

The Bible poses a question: "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" (James 3:11). The answer, of course, is no. God's nature is wholly uniform. He is entirely good—without a single taint of evil. He is wholly loving—is Love itself—governing at all times by His law of unconditional love for all. He is Truth—whole, sound, undeviating, complete Truth. Such is the integrity of God. And we are made in God's image, His spiritual, whole, and perfect creation. It's from this reliable, unchanging Principle that we derive the wisdom and ability to make sound judgments and to live honorable, healthy, and prosperous lives.

Integrity, then, is built into our nature as God's creation. How do you gain insights into this inviolable integrity? Through prayer and spiritual study. Human life provides the laboratory for putting integrity into practice. In her Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, Mary Baker Eddy included this commentary on integrity: "The upright man is guided by a fixed Principle, which destines him to do nothing but what is honorable, and to abhor whatever is base or unworthy; hence we find him ever the same,—at all times the trusty friend, the affectionate relative, the conscientious man of business, the pious worker, the public-spirited citizen" (p. 147). I like to think of integrity as keeping my thoughts and actions true to God, true to who I am as God's reflection, and true to others—by respecting and treating them as the reflection of God's nature.

My friend Chuck, a fellow Christian Scientist, tries to operate his small/medium-sized business every day on the basis of the integrity drawn from divine Principle. He's found that doing this protects the company from unprincipled practices, even as it prospers the business.

One time, a sticky situation arose involving his company's European subsidiary and transactions with the company's financial advisor. As Chuck explained the situation to me, "We were strongly advised that we should open secret bank accounts in Luxembourg to shelter income from the taxing authorities. We were told that 'everyone does it' and that 'the governments were so corrupt and wasteful' that doing so was justified. Nevertheless, as we pondered this advice from people who were very highly regarded, we paused to consider our company's mission-centered approach, which invariably held each transaction to a higher purpose—of being in accord with that fixed Principle that destines it to do only those things that are honorable, and which will tend to raise the standard of business ethics in the community.

"To follow the advisor's counsel," he continued, "was contrary to these business and Christian Values. We would have had to lie on our tax returns to make his scheme work. Instead, we rejected the counsel and held to our ethical standards. In the end, the business and the investors could go forward prosperously without any concerns about abandoning our values."

Chuck also said, "We found that a description of Church given in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy—which reads in part, 'The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle,' (p.583)—also pretty well described our idea of business. And adopting that higher vision has provided a confidence and tranquility that invariably has resulted in continual development and growth."

Chuck's experience shows me that being true to divine Principle, which is universal Love, ensures success in human affairs. It sharpens our discernment so that we are not fooled into thinking dishonesty is ever necessary for success, or that integrity has any less relevance in one culture or location than in any other.

I've found that in proportion as a person practices Principle-based integrity in his or her life, it not only elevates character, but it has a definite positive effect on that individual's mental and physical health. It can also have a powerful transforming effect on the character and health of others. That's a strong incentive for me to practice integrity—and to look to the life and teachings of Jesus for guidance.

Jesus fully embodied the integrity of divine Principle in his spirit and life. Zacchaeus, who had obtained great wealth as an unscrupulous tax collector for the Roman government, had a totally unexpected encounter with Jesus. When he heard that Jesus was coming to town, he went out and climbed a tree in order to catch a glimpse of him. When Jesus saw him, he said, "Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house" (Luke 19:5).

What Zacchaeus found out when Jesus entered his house was that the Christ—the living spirit of Principle-based integrity Jesus fully expressed—entered his heart and mind as well. Zacchaeus's life would never be the same. He would be a spiritually rich and upright man. In the face of Jesus, Zacchaeus saw the man of integrity he himself was meant to be. He immediately vowed to give half of his material wealth to the poor and to restore to those he had cheated four times what he had taken.

The spirit of integrity Jesus embodied is already rooted within every person in every culture. It flows from our ever-present, incorruptible, and inexhaustible source—divine Principle. It only needs to be allowed to spring up in each of us. lcss