How do you identify yourself? Even though many people think of their core identity as being spiritual, in everyday life we often identify ourselves in terms of our physicality. Passports, for example, require a photo of someone in order for the passport to be an acceptable identification document for that individual. And in conversation, the way we might describe someone to others, in order for them to recognize that person, often refers to their physical appearance. Or we might identify someone by their personality—by their good and not-so-good characteristics.
Spiritual sense, however, enables us to identify individuals by their spiritual nature—the good, pure nature that we each uniquely have as God’s children. The material senses seem to counterfeit this spiritual nature, but as we learn to exercise spiritual sense, man’s true nature comes to light, and a limited material sense of being gives way to an understanding of God’s allness.
In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy asks the question “What are body and Soul?” (p. 477). The answer begins, “Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love,” and it then goes on to further elaborate the fact that true identity is purely spiritual.
