Christian Science reveals that individual man is not a copy; he is an original. He relates directly to the source of all being and derives his qualities from God. When Jesus said, "I came forth from the Father,"John 16:28; he was expressing the Science of being, which applies to each true individuality. In following Jesus as the Exemplar, each one can claim and prove his sonship with God.
Human history may indicate that the individual is the derivative of many generations of human ancestry, the product of repeated hereditary patterns. Many theories about disease rest upon this human belief that the child is the copy of the parent and sometimes the victim of inherited deficiencies. Mrs. Eddy states in the textbook, Science and Health: "Physical causation was put aside from first to last by this original man, Jesus. He knew that the divine Principle, Love, creates and governs all that is real."Science and Health, p. 286;
It brings great release from the strictures of tradition and limitation to know that each individuality comes directly from God, the Father. Man is an original, and he draws all his characteristics from his divine source. He has no mind apart from God, the one Mind, and all of his ability is reflected ability. In prayer the individual communes with this divine Mind and gains strength, healing, inspiration, and direction. There is no intermediary in this relationship; nothing can come between man and his Maker.
Man is not a creator; but he reflects the creativity of God. He is not an origin; but he expresses originality. This quality is a manifestation of the infinite variety of divine Mind. Maintaining one's originality is maintaining one's relation to his origin, God.
One demonstrates his originality through inspiration, through the spiritual sense that is aware of God's presence and creative power. There is no limit to originality, for God has an infinitude of ideas, each one of which is original in its freshness and vitality. Mrs. Eddy says, "Creation is ever appearing, and must ever continue to appear from the nature of its inexhaustible source."p. 507; Rather than succumb to patterns, customs, and mass conformity, we should cultivate original thinking and maintain our sense of distinct identity.
It is a protection to our health and harmony to refuse to be a copy. Mortal mind, or the repetitious thinking of mortals, is constantly holding before us the wrong patterns—patterns of sickness and sin, of crime and brutality. If we allow ourselves or our children to follow such patterns, we are certainly inviting trouble and suffering. On the other hand, the daily refreshing of thought by the study of the Bible and Science and Health and the daily communing with our divine and unlimited source will help us to maintain the spiritual sense of man's original purity and freedom from error. If we refuse to be a copy, we shall be freer to reflect the source of all good.
Man is the image and likeness of God, but this does not reduce him to the status of a mimic of his creator or a pawn. When we pray, "Thy will be done,"Matt. 6:10. we are not surrendering our originality but are actually practicing it. We are seeking to have the one creative power of the universe made manifest in our lives. Jesus constantly yielded the human to the divine, and this made him the most original man the world has ever known.
In a society which is highly organized and where business has huge controlling interests, there is a tendency to become stylized, to get into a rut, to be satisfied with mediocrity. Individuality is sometimes frowned upon and conformity is often the rule in business. Yet the very key to progress in business is the original thinker. Great value is placed on idea men. Genius frequently shows itself in simply thinking in an unhabitual way. Progress comes from the same source that causes creation continually to appear.
The Christian Science textbook is absolutely original, that is, it came straight from God, divine Mind. Mrs. Eddy stands alone as its author. One of the ways that we can confirm the fact that this book is the outcome of revelation is to realize how continually fresh it is in meaning and unfoldment. The student of this book finds that the original meaning of the Bible is becoming plain to him, that God is speaking to him through the inspired Word.
Originality rests on the relation of God and man as Mind and idea, creator and creation. Each one can find his individuality and ability in his reflection of the divine Mind. Each one can feel the uniqueness of being a child of God.
