A teacher facing a mixed class of young school children may wonder: boys, girls, black, white, tall, short, European, Asiatic—they appear very different. Are they unequal in talent as well as in looks? Are some of them intelligent and some unintelligent? Do some possess greater capacities than others for inventiveness, reasoning, concentration, artistic creativity? Will some be hostile and some friendly? Some well behaved, some not?

If the teacher thinks of the children as mortal beings, and compares them with each other, he will probably maintain that there is a big difference between their characters and abilities—a difference that current human theories attribute largely to genetic and environmental factors. But if he thinks of them as the Bible describes them, as the offspring of God, he will know that although they are distinctly individual they are not unequal. In truth there is not one of them who is better or more effective than any other. The teacher will know that they each reflect the same qualities of the one divine Father, and express the same intelligence of infinite Mind, but that their individualities remain exclusively their own, distinct and eternally maintained by the divine Principle that formed them.

The Bible says, "Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?" ^{Mal. 2:10;} And Christ Jesus taught the impartiality of God's love for each of His children. His disciple Paul wrote, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." ^{Gal. 3:28;}

Christian Science shows that God has no favorites. He expresses in each of His children an identity that is representative of His own divine nature, though in every case it is distinctly individual. All are equally endowed with the qualities of Soul. All have equal right and ability to express intelligence and to manifest comparably creative talent. Each is as alert and vital as another, each in his own special way. Each includes beauty, strength, usefulness, and the qualities of divine Love—every one of them displays these characteristics of Spirit in the unique form which God, the Father-Mother of the universe, decrees.

Mrs. Eddy writes in Science and Health, "Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love." ^{Science and Health, p. 477;} And: "Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud. All the varied expressions of God reflect health, holiness, immortality—infinite Life, Truth, and Love." ^{p. 518;} There is not one child of God who possesses fewer spiritual gifts than another. All are equally talented.

The understanding of these spiritual facts—the facts of man's nature and origin revealed in Christian Science—has power to cancel whatever may appear to have been harmful in a child's human experience. Such an understanding can bring to light whatever qualities and talents seem lacking. These facts deny the mortal theories of prenatal influences, heredity, and environment, and insist that no matter what the human evidence may be, there is in fact no intelligence or ability gap between individual children.

Mrs. Eddy writes, "Nothing appears to the physical senses but their own subjective state of thought." ^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 105;} So any evidence that an intelligence gap exists can only be suppositional—the manifestation of the false thoughts of mortals imposed upon the children. Consequently, if the true facts are faithfully maintained in thought they will neutralize the belief that a child's intelligence or behavior is affected by his genetic background, and they will overcome any apparent evidence that environmental influences have deprived him or damaged his God-given capabilities.

According to divine law, since all are children of God, in reality all display the intelligence of children of God. Their mentalities all manifest the one creative Mind. In their individual ways they express the activity and energy of Life, the order and integrity of Truth, the inspiration of Soul, the warmth of Love.

Understanding this, a teacher will resist the temptation to assume that any member of his class will think and behave in any way other than as a representative of God. Looking beyond the mortal, physical evidences of a varied group of human beings—girls, boys, fat, thin, white, black, brown, yellow—he will recognize in each one the God-derived consciousness that expresses in each child's own individual way the Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus." ^{Phil. 2:5.} He will expect to see both girls and boys, whatever their human background and appearance, displaying the qualities of the divine Principle, Love.

In proportion as these ideas are firmly held to in the classroom, children of both sexes and all kinds will be liberated from stereotypes of inequality. Each child will begin to feel the joy of freely expressing his God-derived talents in his individual way and come to know his own worth as equal to the worth of every other child.

Naomi Price