Editorial October 2, 2017 Issue

Your identity: shaped by God, not by human history

Barbara Vining

When racial tensions erupt, or terrorist acts target innocent people, or children and adults become the targets of hurtful harassment or bullying, public discussion often turns to how individuals tend to identify themselves. We each yearn to feel accepted, not helpless; worthy, not sidelined; and that what we do counts for something. Our personal history—in relation to our families, communities, groups we associate with, even the history of our particular country—is a significant factor in how we think of ourselves, how we behave, and what we try to do to forge a better future.

Here’s an important question to consider, then: Does human history form identity, or do the thoughts of individuals form human history?

Through my study and practice of Christian Science I’ve been becoming more and more aware that what we call human history, in all its manifestations, is actually nothing more than the manifestation of human thinking. And that improvements in a person’s sense of identity serve to form a better present—and therefore, a better future and history—for that individual, and for humanity as a whole.

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Bible Lens—October 2–8, 2017