The mortal mind which says, "I am sick," has no legitimate authority to use the word "I." Because of this, we may exercise our God-given prerogative to deny mortal mind its claim to being or having ego. We may then speak truthfully of ourselves,' saying, "I am well," and demonstrate that well-being is an actual fact.
The real man reflects the divine Ego, which is God. This Ego is not centered in a physical locality; it is everywhere present. It is divine Principle, Love; it is Life; it is Truth; it is Soul. It exists everywhere; it radiates love everywhere; it manifests aliveness everywhere; it presents perfection everywhere; it shines forth in harmony and beauty everywhere. Because of the limitless nature of the Ego, recognition of its omnipresence can heal a particular case of disease whether the patient is in the same room or miles away from the one who recognizes the truth. Jesus proved this in healing the centurion's servant (see Matt. 8:5—13). Christian Science proves this today, healing diseases even though the patient is not in the immediate presence of the practitioner.
The divine Ego is not identified with any particular point in time. It is ever present. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Ps. 90:2). The Ego does not need to go back through time to correct a mistake. Jesus demonstrated this in healing the man who had been blind from birth. Christian Science demonstrates this today with healings of inharmonious conditions arising from accidents or errors of the past.
On page 281 of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy writes, "The Ego-man is the reflection of the Ego-God; the Ego-man is the image and likeness of perfect Mind, Spirit, divine Principle." Speaking in the absolute sense, only the Ego-man, which reflects the Ego-God, has the right to use the word "I." That which says "I" without exhibiting the qualities of God is an impostor. It is never the real man; it is mortal mind, evil, error, posing as ego and pretending to superimpose on mankind images of sin, disease, fear, discord, death. Its seeming success appears through human acceptance of the false ego as "I." Its defeat comes as we deny this usurper reality or a seat of consciousness and realize man's true selfhood as God's reflection.
Because the Ego-God is Life, Mind, Principle, the Ego-man can never say, "I may die." The Ego-man cannot think, "I don't know," or, "I am imperfect." Because the Ego-God is Love, Truth, Spirit, Soul, the Ego-man cannot feel unloved or unloving, cannot believe his existence dull or unspirited. The Ego-man always understands himself as joyous by nature and always knows, "I am alive; I am intelligent; I am perfect; I am loved and loving; I am well-balanced; I am happy." That which says "I" and contradicts the nature of the Ego must be, can be, discarded as it is detected and rejected.
On page 263 of Science and Health, we read: "Mortals are egotists. They believe themselves to be independent workers, personal authors, and even privileged originators of something which Deity would not or could not create."Jesus showed by example what the real man is. He also indicated the correct human attitude toward the Ego, the I, when he said (John 5:30): "I can of mine own self do nothing," and (John 5: 19), "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."
We must follow Jesus' example if we would live the triumphant life, the eternal life Jesus proved for us. When using the word "I," we must differentiate between the real man and the counterfeit, mortal man, by identifying man with his divine source. The real man has infinite ability to reflect the qualities of God. As human thought yields to this fact, a higher, more spiritual sense of being is attained. Human capacities are enlarged with no false sense of pride or egotism.
One who knows himself as the reflection of the divine Ego cannot fear his surroundings, personal or impersonal. Jesus illustrated this when his hearers took "stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by" (John 8:59).
In the lions' den Daniel must have been aware of man's unity with God. The egotistical mortal minds which conspired to destroy him, playing upon the egotism of King Darius, were nullified by Daniel's consciousness of complete security as a child of God. He proved the power and love of the divine Ego he was reflecting and the nothingness of an ego that can be destroyed. How beautiful must have been the sight to Daniel when he looked upon the lions and saw the gentle presence of divine Love where the ferocity of animality would have manifested itself! What a wonderful place that lions' den was! Love was there.
Love is present in our lions' den too. Whatever the circumstance, however vicious the evil directed against us, however impressive the obstacle before us, Love, the all-intelligent, all-powerful I AM, is there; and man is His reflection. What a beautiful place to be!
Knowing the infinite nature of the Ego, one finds freedom from the necessity to express selfhood in ways which would dishonor the Ego. The arrogance which attempts to cover an inner feeling of inadequacy; the temper which hides an inner sense of weakness; the indignation which would divert attention from a sense of guilt; the insistent domination of others which attempts to sublimate a fear of being unappreciated—such characteristics and the diseases which may appear as their resultants vanish when the Ego is understood.
Through this spiritual understanding, we gain control over the human body. We learn in Christian Science that the body is not self-existent matter, but is the embodiment of one's thought. If one believes himself to be a material body with a mind inside, he experiences the effects of that belief. The body then appears capable of becoming weary, sick, old, and dead, and the individual entertaining this belief thinks of himself as going through these stages of consciousness. But if one understands himself as actually the reflection of the divine Ego, he refuses to call the body "I," but recognizes that one who rightly calls himself "I," the Ego-man, is able to exclude from his thought whatever does not clearly emanate from the divine Mind. One controls his body not by giving undue attention to it but by exercising his God-given self control over his own thoughts of body.
Because he is the reflection of the Ego God, the real man always reflects as his own the qualities of Life, Truth, and Love. In the degree that the human being accepts his true status as the Ego-man, his thoughts are embodied in limitless, timeless, ageless, tireless being. In short, one's body reports one's thoughts, and true thoughts honor the Ego-God. Therefore true thoughts mean a healthy body and a harmonious life.
The conquest of time and space is not a remote possibility to one who understands the universal nature of the Ego. The Master, alone, demonstrated a full comprehension of this vital truth, and his demonstration shows us what this truth is that we may understand and prove it. Christ Jesus talked with Moses and Elias, proving time a nonentity. He permitted his own crucifixion that he might illustrate further that the Ego-man does reflect the limitless Ego God. After his resurrection he appeared and disappeared to the disciples and had no regard for closed doors. Finally he ascended out of the sight of those who still reckoned life and identity in terms of material space and time.
To follow Jesus in the way of understanding and demonstrating the universal nature of the Ego, we must utilize the opportunities at hand to expand our outlook. We may begin by looking at things with sympathy for the other person's point of view. Without this breaking away from a limited, self-centered viewpoint there can be no effective practice of the Golden Rule, no satisfactory doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. Progress toward understanding and demonstrating the limitless Ego demands progress, daily progress, in the practice of this rule of Love. The more clearly we can see from another's point of view, the more we are able to see and supply the needs of our neighbor.
It is significant that for expansion of outlook Mrs. Eddy provided for her followers a daily newspaper which brings to our attention problems facing mankind everywhere. By reading The Christian Science Monitor we may begin our practice of Christian Science with a genuine interest in and tender compassion for our neighbor's needs. Since divine Love is the Mind and source of such loving interest and compassion, we are thereby enabled to pray effectively for the solution of our neighbor's problems at his behest. Accepting the opportunity to love our neighbor effectively, we shall find ourselves solving our own problems successfully.
As we gain a truer concept of the Ego, encompassing mankind in the love of God with greater and greater effectiveness, we shall realize dominion over human ills. That which says "I" will no longer be associated with that which claims to be sick or troubled or alone; the Ego-man will be seen as always reflecting the whole, joyous, complete nature of the Ego-God.
