Article February 13, 1995 Issue

Personal attachment or spiritual attraction?

C. Paulette Fredrick Skinner

How do we recognize true attraction? How can we discern the difference between the pull of personal attachment and true, spiritual attraction? An honest examination of ourselves helps us see what is motivating us.

In this examination there's helpful guidance given in the Manual of The Mother Church by Mary Baker Eddy. It's called "A Rule for Motives and Acts" (Art. VIII, Sect. 1). The first sentence reads, "Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church." We are usually aware of feelings of animosity, and because of the discomfort they bring, we do struggle to overcome them. But personal attachment is much more subtle. We may side with someone or something because it appeals to our personal interests, although we may have no insight into character or motivation or the basic issues at stake. This holds true for places and things, for we can be just as easily influenced by places and objects as people. The Bible admonishes, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). Righteous judgment is not based upon the material picture or human opinion. It is based upon the law of God and on the fact that man is naturally attracted to goodness, because goodness is the effect of God's law. We see hints of this attraction in the cleanliness, order, and harmony that a law-abiding society enjoys.

Personal attachment may seem to influence or hold us through flattery, which inflates the mortal ego. This ploy would manipulate us and get us to follow someone else's view of things rather than to follow our own highest sense of right. In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes, "We should examine ourselves and learn what is the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what we honestly are" (p. 8). We can ask ourselves, "What is pulling or pushing on me? What is my motive? And where's the love?" If we are finding purity, honesty, order, and goodness in our lives, we're finding a measure of godliness. But if we feel we are being manipulated, we can strengthen through spiritual understanding the weakness that would allow us to be misused. Being aware of our own motives helps us to see clearly and nullify the influences of wrong purposes.

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