The continuation of our topic from last week brought out a smaller, but no less intense, group this week. Hanging over the proceedings was the U.S. election situation.

After readings, a member made the point that in Science intimacy and infinity are one. This he based on the fact of one Mind or Ego. He read from Unity of Good, page 27, which discerns the difference between egoism and egotism: the former relating to the oneness of Being, the latter to the supposed separate existence or minds of people. He also quoted from the same book: " I am all. A knowledge of aught beside Myself is impossible" (p. 18: 25-26). And this from Science and Health: "The allness of Deity is His oneness" (p. 267: 5-6). Yes, these refer to God — but man as the full reflection of God includes all in and as himself, intimately and infinitely. He added, "Love your neighbor as yourself, because he is yourself, just as you are himself. Intimacy with another has to be based on the fact of mutual self-inclusion."

Another member had come to the meeting prepared to discuss the impediments to intimacy — e.g., fear of losing self, fear of abandonment, shame, history. He was going to unpack some painful memories of relationships gone awry. But having heard the foregoing he decided to put some of it into practice and get back to the group with the results.

Another member had a couple of demonstrations during the week which illustrated the reciprocity of Being in Science. In his own nightclub act he usually has a good realization of himself and the audience as one, but in a new venue he had a particularly vivid breakthrough which highlighted the unique individuality of each person in the room as "a glistening diadem in the endless crown of infinity." We all gasped too! The evening developed wonderfully.

A few days later, he glided into another nightclub where he and others were to perform. He rested on the previous demonstration, feeling its glow would provide another stunning result. The evening started badly and went downhill. He noticed the poor nightclub owner shrunken and depressed in a dark corner. Here was a key — suddenly he realized that this apparent surrender of the human belief in good was the counterpoint to God's allness now. He could not rest on human memories of good results for present demonstration but needed fresh inspiration. Again he went within and saw the allness of God as all the customers and performers. Things picked up immediately.

This got us into a discussion of symbols of intimacy and infinity. Last week we talked of materia medica as a kind of intimacy. This week we were ready to go much further. It now appeared to us that virtually everything, good or bad, can be seen as a symbolic representation of our oneness with God. Job, relationship, birth, illness, death, whatever — all dualistic ways of seeing our divinity on the belief level. We keep ourselves locked to that level, bouncing between good and evil, because we fail to probe the symbol to its depths and live it out from its non dualistic or God-enlightened basis. One member noted that Carl Jung felt symbols could never be fully known but that in Science we are not knowers of anything, but rather the actual knowing. So, once we turn from the grip of dualism to be the one knowing, we encompass the universe, without any half-way impertinence of probing or cogitating.

There was a brief discussion of prayer as desire after a member's remark that we should not wish for harmony under all circumstances but rather whatever best promotes our growth in grace. Human beliefs will not lead to heaven directly, but may through much frustration, cause us to surrender to divine Love which is the presence of harmony.

A member brought to our attention a statement on page 177, lines 8-9, in our Textbook. He was amazed at what it said: "Mortal mind and body are one. Neither exists without the other, and both must be destroyed by immortal Mind." He saw it as saying we do not have a mortal body, but are the embodiment of immortal Mind. Thus, we can joyously welcome the destruction of the mortal beliefs about our body. We achieve this destruction through study and surrender, not through death, worms etc. which do not detach us from a mortal body but cement us to it more than ever.

Two current books on our subject were mentioned:

1) The Mystery of the Aleph by Amir Aczel about the concept of infinity, including religious, mystical (e.g., Cabala) and mathematical observations. The reviewer in the New York Times found some of the mathematics impenetrable. Maybe worth a peek at the local bookstore.

2) The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. An interview with the author shows him setting up religious straw men to knock down, so that he can glory in shocking readers with the atheistic underpinnings of his book. Perhaps a needed tonic for the terminally orthodox, but for the student of Science it might be interesting to read it as containing new ways of seeing and describing the integration of God, man and universe as a unitary functioning whole.

As for the current U.S. government situation, a member picked out a line from last week's Bible Lesson Sermon to guide his feelings during the week. It reads, "Our statute is spiritual, our Government is divine" (Science and Health, p. 442: 3). Another read the poem by Mrs. Eddy included in the readings.

Next week we'll have our traditional Thanksgiving meeting. As usual, we'll read the Bible Lesson provided for that day in the Christian Science Quarterly and give testimonies of gratitude for growth in understanding and healing.