The chairperson for the evening kept us close to our format in view of recent tensions. We were discerning and working out identity in Science individually and as a group.

Taking the word "identity", one member observed that its two segments "id" and "entity" come from Latin words meaning "it" and "to be". From this he parlayed it into the scientific vision of Being, God, "idding" Itself as man and the universe. Our member added his oft stated conviction, "God is the only man I am."

While it is true that identity in Science is entirely spiritual, we spent most of the meeting teasing out the underlying reality in any number of human situations — just as they presented themselves to our experience. Here's how it unfolded:

A member who is very single and perhaps a bit militantly so, saw the value of intimate relationships as he talked to family members about their lives and careers. In all cases, they had an intimate "other", someone in their corner pulling for them on a daily basis. Yes, it does uncomfortably mimic parent child stuff we should have outgrown, etc., but one could ask why did Mrs. Eddy need husbands, households and so on? What did Jesus find in John and the others? Perhaps he felt an intimate "other" would definitely boost his efforts to grow.

Various members then commented on what he'd said as follows:

• "The oneness of being described in Christian Science does not deny the value of such relationships. Indeed if one is truly being the oneness , he will not lack in this or any other department necessary for the revelation of his divinity".
• Also, "Well, any Jesus-John relationship however wonderful will also have an eventual Gethsemane, where all earthly attachments are surrendered".
• Then, "But, is living as One, with attendant relationships, earthly, something needing surrender?"
• Finally, " Was Jesus material?"

We thus had hit a very tricky shoal in the study of Christian Science. As we carefully parse human concepts like mind and body and "other" we right away assume we're talking of matter. But are we? It depends on our present state of consciousness. As Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health, "...what the human mind terms matter and spirit indicates states and stages of consciousness." (pg. 573:10-12) From the divine standpoint all concepts are divine ideas.

Several interesting experiences bearing on this area were recounted by members:

• One said he was an "expert in loneliness" but had found Science a great aid in making the most of the situation. He has recently become involved in an intimate relationship with another man.
• Another has had a succession of lovers since he left his mother's home. For him the present lack of a lover is a wonderful boon to his growth in Science, as he finds himself with time and energy previously devoted to attending to the relationship or entertaining friends and in-laws.
• Another felt Jesus said nothing about homosexuality because he was to some extent troubled by his relationship with John. Perhaps, said another, but it might just be that he had worked out the Science of the relationship so well that it needed no comment other than the bald fact of living it in an admittedly homophobic system.
• Another member asked us to consider a question he'd heard on TV, "Would you want a date with yourself?" We shuddered as we scanned ourselves from a mortal perspective but one member reminded us to view ourselves and others from the standpoint of Science and recalled what was said a few weeks back at the meeting, "Knowing what I do about the divinity of myself and others, why wouldn't I have very good dates or whatever else?"
• Another found himself disturbed by very noisy fire engines on the way to Wednesday testimony meeting. He saw through the material scrim of dualistic solutions for dualistic problems to the divine fact of the indestructibility of man. The fire engine was the highest human concept available on the belief level and could be a non-dualistic Messiah when undergirded by scientific seeing, or his treatment.
• Kosovo came up. We all agreed to suspend human reasoning about what the solution should look like and what measures should be taken. We have hired governments to look after that. We were then able to see that each individual involved is infinite, eternal idea, harmoniously controlled by Principle, God. This is where we want to reside. The seeming impossibility of the situation is a benefit to the Scientist since there is scant inducement to mortal reasoning and hope.
• A member reported the healing of the flu based on her work with others in the group. It revolved on seeing that an idea cannot be influenced; man springs directly from the Mind that is God.
• Another, relaxing in a hot bath after a busy day found his thoughts ensnared in the basest feelings of fear and anger; he was chagrined but at least able to see how quickly mortal mind can seize us and make an otherwise pleasant ritual into a bit of hell.

A member quoted these statements from Margaret Laird, "As subject I'm unaware of myself as object," and, "Love your neighbor as yourself because your neighbor is yourself." Keeping these in mind, he can just let the symbolic/material level bring up whatever dualistic concepts seem needed to give him ever more vibrant experiences of divinity.

At the end of the meeting we argued a bit over whether we were being militant enough in our championing of Gay men and Lesbians in Christian Science. There were fissures opening, so we quickly established the next topic as Militancy, closed with a fervent prayer, and dashed to the coffee shop.