"God is the Principle of man, and man is the idea of God," writes Mary Baker Eddy on page 476 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." Mrs. Eddy frequently uses the words idea, reflection, image, likeness, and other terms for man interchangeably. When we think of the word idea, do we not usually think of intelligence? Divine intelligence, or Mind, is the source of one's true identity; hence we could never have identity without intelligence. It follows then that man, God's idea, is the individual reflection of infinite intelligence, Mind, or divine Principle. Intelligence is that spiritually mental activity whereby one knows and demonstrates the divine Principle of his being.
We should not think of Principle as abstract. If we are truly loving, we do not consider Love abstract. If we are truly reflecting intelligence, we do not consider Mind abstract. And if we are truly practicing Christian Science, we do not consider Principle abstract. As Science lifts our thought to a higher understanding of divine Principle and its idea, man, that idea will be recognized as real and substantial.
Human beings mistakenly identifying themselves with corporeal, material bodies put themselves on the wrong side of reason. Only as we identify ourselves as actually the image of God, as we are authorized to do in the first chapter of Genesis, do we express spiritual sense, which enables us to demonstrate that man is the idea of Principle.
