Article September 9, 2019 Issue

The pull toward goodness

Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche

A woman taking a course was embarrassed and disturbed the first day of class when she felt a strong sensual attraction to her teacher. They were both married to other people. She didn’t want immoral thoughts to interfere with this special learning experience, so during a break, she confronted the issue right away and told the teacher what was happening. She trusted his integrity and expected that he would help her put a stop to the problem.

Her expectation was well founded. From his study of Christian Science, the teacher had gained a view of God’s creation that is deeply rooted in an inspired sense of Scripture. Genesis 1 explains the true nature of God’s children as wholly good and spiritual, reflecting and possessing dominion “over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (verse 26). He recognized an immoral sensual attraction as a “creeping thing” that is naturally overcome by a better understanding of what we are as God’s good children.

The pull toward God’s goodness is pure and spiritual, not subversive and sensual.