A 'we' or a 'they'?
Citizens and noncitizens all have access to God's impartial love.
from the March 20, 2007 edition
Page 1 of 2
As the son of immigrant parents, am I a "we" or a "they" when the issue of immigration stirs emotions?
Stirred emotions is putting it mildly.
There have been strains and hate crimes between ethnic groups – between nationalities who have been citizens for generations and new immigrants. I think of myself as a "we" when I consider the way immigrants, such as my parents, enriched Europe's diversity or immigrants anywhere enrich that region's diversity.
The solution to the unrest and violence, I believe, is a spiritual one, not just a political one. Mary Baker Eddy, who founded this newspaper, explained, "There is but one I, or Us, but one divine Principle, or Mind, governing all existence; man and woman unchanged forever in their individual characters, even as numbers which never blend with each other, though they are governed by one Principle" ("Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," p. 588).
This glorious idea of "one I, or Us" – the divine Principle or Mind that is God – and of "man and woman ... governed by one Principle" reassures me that I need not settle for an identity outside my relation to God, as God's child or idea. Nor should I judge anyone else outside their relation to God.
This perspective is liberating. It eases mentality away from accepting we/they divisions into seeing equal expressions of that one, wonderful "Us" that loves all. In that spiritual relationship with the all-loving "Us," human divides are bridged. The Bible, speaking about healing longstanding divisions between Jews and Gentiles, wrote – talking of Christ – "through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. 2:18).
Through Christ – the true idea of every man and woman's eternal sonship or daughterhood – all have equal access to the inexhaustible goodness of God.
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