UPFRONT September 24, 2007 Issue

If not age, what does define us?

PATRICIA KADICK, STAFF EDITOR

The fact that a five-year-old rushes to help a friend who has fallen has nothing to do with her being five, going on six. Likewise, the gentleman of 90 years, always ready with a story to cheer those around him, isn't compelled to do so because of his age. Love and kindness are spiritual qualities that cannot be quantified in terms of years.

You could think of Jesus as the 12-year-old who impressed the scholars in the temple, or as the man in his early 30s who stood his ground, healing the sick in spite of hatred and opposition. Either way, it wasn't Jesus' years that defined his character and career, but the spiritual qualities he expressed. Fortitude, humility, astuteness, deep trust in his healing mission and in God's supremacy—and so much more—defined him.

The joy of approaching everyday experience unencumbered by the limits of age—or any other material law—is the spirit of Jesus' teachings. Christian Science embraces this spiritual approach, on the basis that God's creation is always good, full of vitality, health, beauty, and purpose. This Science shows that, as we recognize these God-given qualities in ourselves and others, we will see that they cannot fade or deteriorate.

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