At first Moses shrank from the divine demand to free the Israelites from bondage. He asked, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Shortly after, God revealed Himself as “I AM THAT I AM.” Moses’ sense of himself as a finite ego, or inadequate mortal, had been challenged. While he still wrestled with his mission, undeniably the truth had dawned that the infinite I am was the only true Ego, or Mind, of man, the spiritual image of God.
Through the lens of Christian Science, the Bible can be read as a record of both the reality of one supreme I am, producing only good, and the falsity of many gods, many finite egos, prone to fear, vulnerability, and wickedness. The Old Testament refers to a supposed counterfeit I am, or mortal ego, as Lucifer: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! . . . For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: . . . I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12–14).
Exalting oneself above the divine I am takes many forms. Instances of egotism gone wild have resulted in tyranny and bloodshed, as evidenced by the human history of dictators. Thoroughly addressing various forms of egotism is paramount to bring healing to the world.
