Article September 25, 1915 Issue

Spirit the Only Attraction

VIVIAN M. KUENZLI

A little book on the planets, used by a younger member of the family, has proved helpful to the writer. Reading of the differing intensities of attraction possessed by the various planets, and the consequent determination of the weight of any given object on them, that is, the force with which that object is impelled toward and held fast by a particular planet, the force being determined apparently by the size of the planet,—all this turned thought naturally to the statement in Science and Health (p. 102) that "there is but one real attraction, that of Spirit." The force of attraction we feel toward other seeming centers is therefore influenced by our belief in, fear of, or longing for this particular phase of materiality, thus determining its size to our consciousness, and making it for the time being our center of attraction, although we often find as we approach it that we were deceived in believing that it had any power whatever.

Until we learn that God is the substance of all good and therefore the only center of attraction, we will find ourselves drawn toward one seeming center and another until our experience has led us to turn to the study of God and His creation. As taught in Science and Health, this study is more fascinating, beautiful, and wonderful than that of astronomy, since it is the understanding to which reference is made throughout the Bible as being more precious than all else. Through it we learn that man, regardless of sense-testimony, is spiritual, and has never been and can never be under the control of any lesser attraction than that of Spirit.

This question of attraction was given very clearly by one of one lecturers, who used as an illustration an object resting on a floor some distance from the ground, and separated from it by several obstructions. The object thus located is, of course, drawn toward the center of attraction (in this case called earth) as the obstacles are removed one by one. So too we seem to be separated from our divine Principle by many things, errors of different kinds, and we find that as these are removed from our consciousness we are drawn irresistibly to Him. Though the obstacles may seem many and the process of removal slow, there need be no sense of discouragement, for if we succeed in removing hindrances from our thought by overcoming the claims of evil, we may rejoice in the assurance that we are approaching the perfect realization of the infinitude of God, good, and that in fact we have never been apart from Him. Our work now is to strive earnestly, patiently, continually, for that Mind to be in us "which was also in Christ Jesus," knowing that nothing can obstruct our progress as we overcome our belief in evil, not because of any power or ability or grace inherent in us, but because of that attraction of Spirit which must needs draw us toward it just as surely as the object from which the supports are removed is drawn toward the earth.

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