Article November 2, 1992 Issue

Loving our politicians

How we view those in public office can have a significant influence on the quality of government.

David Naboth Williams

It is popular to complain about people in certain occupations—politicians, for example. In public forums it is traditional to honor political leaders, but in private it has long been the fashion to criticize them without restraint.

Where do our attitudes come from? Christian Science helps us see that our thoughts are traceable either to God, divine Mind, or to the lower, erroneous source of feelings and thoughts—the supposititious mortal mind, or "carnal mind," to use St. Paul's term. Mrs. Eddy asks in Science and Health, "How are veritable ideas to be distinguished from illusions?" And she answers: "By learning the origin of each. Ideas are emanations from the divine Mind. Thoughts, proceeding from the brain or from matter, are offshoots of mortal mind; they are mortal material beliefs. Ideas are spiritual, harmonious, and eternal."

The person who is not alert to the source of his feelings and opinions may well drift along with the currents of fear, vague discontent, personal antipathy. He may be inclined habitually to complain about conditions that appear beyond his control. You have probably had friends who tended to grumble about common acquaintances, or opine that the world, their country, the economy, their neighborhood, or the younger generation is going downhill. While evil certainly can't be ignored, excessive talk about it, and thoughts that build it up, can have a harmful effect if not met with spiritual power.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

The most important of questions