Editorial June 9, 2014 Issue

What's so fascinating?

The Editors

“Fascinating!” We might exclaim this in a positive way, such as when we see an accomplished artist at work in the park or when a friend makes an astute observation.

But sometimes fascination has a darker edge. From keeping our eyes glued to a vitriolic program on TV, to ruminating anxiously over an illness or emotional wounds, we may find that fascination tries to keep us riveted on ugly messages and pictures. That kind of fascination pulls our thought away from God, divine Soul, and down to feeling separated from Soul’s healing presence.

One dictionary definition of fascinate is: “(especially of a snake) deprive (a person or animal) of the ability to resist or escape by the power of a look or gaze.” And where do we find one of the most infamous stories about a snake, but in the allegorical second account of Genesis in the Bible, where the serpent convinces Eve (with Adam following suit) to disobey God and eat from the tree of good and evil. Spoiler alert … this path doesn’t work out so well for either of them!

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