The ideal of loving one's neighbor is pillared on the commandments and Christ Jesus' teachings. He said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." ^{John 13:34;}

This ideal has to be practiced to have any impact. Christian Science derives its authority from the Bible and so understands God to be Love—all-encompassing divine presence. It further teaches that man is the image of Love, entirely so, though to human vision a person may often not seem to be that. Students of Christian Science strive to replace the mortal, material misconception of loveless—unloved or unloving—people with the reality of spiritual man, the expression of divine Love.

How does Love, God, view man—each one of us in his true identity? Love sees and knows man, its very own image, as perfect, flawless, incorruptible, and uncontaminated. Divine Love isn't physical and limited; therefore man, its image, isn't either. Mrs. Eddy states in Science and Health, "Man is not matter; he is not made up of brain, blood, bones, and other material elements." She adds a little further on, "Man is idea, the image, of Love." ^{Science and Health, p. 475;}

We see Love's man to the degree we know God as Love. We progress in this understanding as we love and demonstrate God's manifestation of love, His Christ, or Truth, so perfectly illustrated and represented in the life of Christ Jesus, whose words and works were in obedience to divine Love.

Often we suffer from "gaposis" in our idealism. The ideal and its practice are not united. There's a rift, and we find ourselves at odds with our neighbor. Such was my experience a year and a half ago.

In my community there's an ordinance that dogs must be tied. However, a neighbor ignored it, and her dog attacked my dog and me when we were out for a walk. This was the second time this had occurred, and during the incident I found myself somewhat irate at this harassment. The physical body is the externalization of thought. On my body mortal mind, error, recorded its impressions, which included annoyance, as a sprained ankle. To make matters worse, the neighbor seemed unconcerned and merely suggested I not walk that way anymore.

I prayed for myself all day, but the ankle became worse, and I was unable to walk. In a few days I was scheduled to fly to the Biennial Meeting of Christian Science college organizations in Boston. It finally dawned on me that I must truly love my neighbor.

It was not too easy at first, but gradually I impersonalized the evil in the whole situation, separated my neighbor and myself— divine Love's spiritual ideas—from the slanderous muddlement of injustice, annoyance, and Cain-like feelings. There was no doubt that previously there had been strains of pompous piety in my thought. But now real affection gained through prayer replaced animosity. The inflammation disappeared and the ankle was healed.

The glorious reward of loving my neighbor also brought me the realization that there are many lovely neighbors on my street. A better sense of kindly neighborliness developed among us all.

Mrs. Eddy writes: "God creates man perfect and eternal in His own image. Hence man is the image, idea, or likeness of perfection—an ideal which cannot fall from its inherent unity with divine Love, from its spotless purity and original perfection." ^{The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 262.} It is our privilege to see original perfection in Love's forever blessed image and likeness everywhere. Genuine spiritual love for our neighbor (actually, all individuals included in our experience) is not pendulous but constant, honest, forgiving, tender, full of grace and benediction. This is entirely possible as each day we allow divine Love to be the provider and guardian of every thought.