The word "idea" is a little word with a big meaning. It has an important place in the teachings of Christian Science, as is evidenced by the frequency with which Mary Baker Eddy uses it in her writings. Students of our Leader's works become instructed by their study in the selective use she makes of words and the thought value she accords to each.
In ordinary conversation one often hears the statement, "That is a good idea." What is being referred to may be some improved way for handling traffic, some more orderly way for getting the day's work done in the home, office, or school, or the reference may be to some ingenious invention or original device. As thus commonly used, the word has little or no spiritual significance. Mrs. Eddy, however, most often uses "idea" in its purely spiritual meaning, and the student of Christian Science is ever seeking to gain a clearer grasp of the word as thus used.
Consider her statement, "All is Mind and Mind's idea" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 492). Here "idea" is used in the singular, but in a collective sense, to define the entire manifestation of Mind, its one universe of countless ideas. All of Mind's ideas taken together constitute Mind's full manifestation, its infinite universe. In other instances the plural, "ideas," is used to describe the totality of creation. For example: "The Scriptures imply that God is All-in-all. From this it follows that nothing possesses reality nor existence except the divine Mind and His ideas" (ibid.,p. 331). Of course the effect of the one cause is always the same, whether referred to as "Mind's idea," using the word "idea" in a collective sense for all ideas, or by saying "His ideas." In some cases the word "idea" is used not in a collective sense, but in the singular, to refer to a single, individual idea; for instance, your spiritual individuality or mine.
