In the Glossary of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy defines you as simply, “As applied to corporeality, a mortal; finity” (p. 599). Yuck! I’ve never liked that definition—that is until a while ago when a fellow church member gave a testimony one evening and shared her newfound spiritual understanding.
My church chum didn’t like this definition either, but for her healing, she was led to look at the definition for I, or Ego, in addition to you. Part of that definition for I, or Ego, is: “Divine Principle; Spirit; Soul; incorporeal, unerring, immortal, and eternal Mind. There is but one I, or Us, but one divine Principle, or Mind, governing all existence” (p. 588). Wow, I found that to be just so different from the definition of you. My friend got me thinking about what it is I’m doing when I think of “you” in terms of a person over there, someone separate from me. Whether I love this person or don’t even know them—in this line of thinking—they are their own separate personality, and we are not connected. We may even be at odds.
The other thing I started realizing is that I didn’t like the definition of you because I thought of God as using that word to identify me. As if God were being all-glorious somewhere and pointing at me with a booming, “Hey you, over there!” It felt lonely, really. And judgmental. But the definition of I, or Ego, is exactly the opposite. It’s God including all of Her grand creation in an eternal Us. Oh my gosh, that is comforting and exciting and powerful! It changes my concept of my connection to God and my connection to everyone.
