“Who do you think you are?” the man growled as he stood up, towering over me, just inches from my face.
I had been working night-shift security at The Mother Church for a few years at this point and had learned that how I was thinking about people directly affected how they responded to me. Right from the beginning, I found that if I approached someone thinking simply that they were wrong and I was right and that I needed to make them comply with the rules, my nights were spent rushing from one end of the property to the other, often addressing the same person multiple times.
While outwardly my job was to maintain a safe and secure environment for both employees and visitors by enforcing the rules that had been established, I found that the most successful approach to fulfilling that purpose was through prayer. Instead of passively accepting the common view that there were some “bad guys” out there wanting to do bad things, I strove to understand that because God is completely good, God’s image and likeness, man, must also be completely good.
Christian Science reveals that the man of God’s creating—the real identity of each of us—is naturally inclined to be honest, respectful, and law-abiding. Keeping this spiritual fact uppermost in thought had an immediate impact on my interactions with people while I was at work. I was calmer, more relaxed, and genuinely friendly. However, it wasn’t always easy.
Night after night, I encountered different forms of disrespect, disobedience, and outright defiance. The sheer number and repetition of these behaviors tempted me to believe that this was the real nature of people, and to yield to cynicism or discouragement. These times called for deeper consecration and a firm acknowledgment of the spiritual truth that man is the child of God, who has no choice but to reflect God’s goodness in everything he or she does, as Christ Jesus taught.
I also included in my prayer a strong affirmation that we each can hear God’s voice and love to respond to divine direction. It became second nature to pray a line from the Lord’s Prayer, “Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9), as I walked to address a situation. To me this was a declaration of the spiritual truth that man loves God’s name or nature and all the qualities that express God’s nature. I would also ponder synonyms for God and affirm, for example, that because God is our Father, we love Him as divine Principle. Therefore, we love to be good, and we especially love to obey our Father’s commandments, including one that Jesus taught—to love our neighbor as ourselves (see Mark 12:31).
Being clear about man’s true identity as the child of God makes all the difference in our interactions with one another.
I reasoned that since the church’s rules were designed to maintain a safe and harmonious atmosphere where everyone could feel welcome, they were fully in keeping with this commandment. That was my basis for expecting that everyone truly wanted to be respectful and comply with the rules, and that they would be grateful to be reminded of this.
Spiritualizing my thought about the work resulted in noticeable improvements. People were more amiable and compliant, and interactions often led to inspiring conversations. Prayer also brought many insights on how to approach people in a more caring and loving way, with an awareness of what my body language was conveying. I often felt divinely led as I determined when to speak and when to simply monitor a situation. Turning to God brought a spiritual perspective to rule enforcement that relieved the tension I felt at times when someone was able to get away with a violation of the rules.
I also learned not to wait until I encountered a problem to begin praying. I found that the best way to ensure consistently good results was to follow Paul’s directive to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17), both on and off the job.
So, back to that night when I approached a man to ask that he not drink alcohol on church property, and he rose up to challenge me with “Who do you think you are?” My response came naturally. I told him, “I think I am a son of God, and you are too.” He stepped back as if he had been struck by a blow, looked at me for a few seconds, and then stepped in even closer and repeated, “Who do you think you are?” I again responded, “I think I am a son of God, and so are you.”
After a moment he sat back down, and we proceeded to talk for the better part of an hour. It turned out that he was struggling with memories of things he had experienced as a soldier in the Vietnam War. I was able to share some ideas about God’s love and some verses from the Bible on how we can find forgiveness, which he appreciated. When he left, he thanked me for listening and sharing with him.
Being clear about man’s true identity as the child of God—and knowing that this applies to everyone, not just a select few—makes all the difference in our interactions with one another. Jesus told us not to be angry with each other, but rather to bless even those that curse and persecute us. He emphasized the need not only to love our neighbors but also to forgive those who sin against us. He did this himself, not just because he thought it was the nice thing to do, but because he knew it was the expression of divine Principle and therefore the only practical thing to do. Following his example, maintaining a loving attitude, whatever the circumstances, is vital to our spiritual growth, our safety, and our well-being.
In John’s Gospel, somewhat hidden in the narrative of the raising of Lazarus from death, we find this exchange: “[Jesus says] to his disciples, Let us go into Judæa again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him” (John 11:7–10).
What was he trying to tell them? John later explains in one of his letters: “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (I John 2:10, 11).
When our thought is focused on loving our neighbor as ourselves, it is enlightened. If you and I were walking together at night, and you had a flashlight and I didn’t, I could see by the light of your flashlight. So, too, if we are holding the light of love within our hearts, those whom we encounter are able to glimpse their own true nature with the aid of our light of spiritual understanding, and act accordingly.
Sometimes our expression of love doesn’t bring about an immediate change in those we’re dealing with, but when we are genuinely motivated and guided by God, our actions are guaranteed to bless regardless of how they may appear to be received by others. For example, when Jesus preached in his hometown and the people became enraged at what he was saying, they tried to push him off the steep brow of a hill. The Bible tells us that Jesus was able to pass through the angry crowd unharmed (see Luke 4:28–30).
Every effort we make to conscientiously practice the teachings of our Master fills our lives with light—with more love, joy, harmony, and peace—and this, in turn, shines through us and is felt by everyone we encounter. Who we think we are—when we know we are the expression of God, divine Principle—delivers us from evil, keeping us and those whom our thoughts rest upon safe in every situation.
St. Paul writes: “Follow peace with all men,
and holiness, without which no man shall see
the Lord.” To attain peace and holiness is to
recognize the divine presence and allness.
Jesus said: “I am the way.” Kindle the
watch-fires of unselfed love, and they throw
a light upon the uncomplaining agony in the
life of our Lord; they open the enigmatical seals
of the angel, standing in the sun, a glorified
spiritual idea of the ever-present God—in
whom there is no darkness, but all is light, and
man’s immortal being. The meek might, sublime
patience, wonderful works, and opening not his
mouth in self-defense against false witnesses,
express the life of Godlikeness.
—Mary Baker Eddy
Message to The Mother Church for 1902, p. 16
