There is inherent in the human mind a desire to worship or to adore someone or something. If the object of worship and adoration is God, then all is well. And Mary Baker Eddy, in giving the spiritual sense of the Lord's Prayer (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pp. 16, 17), has interpreted the lines, "Our Father which art in heaven," "Hallowed be Thy name," as follows: "Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious," "Adorable One."
However, the worship and adoration of mortals has often been directed to human beings and material things, rather than to Deity. Throughout history, people have accorded adulation to rulers, governors, and others who were essentially like themselves, and therefore finite and fallible. The mistake has frequently been made of attributing to mortals qualities that can properly be attributed only to divine Mind. It is not strange, therefore, that this form of idolatry has resulted in disillusionment and disappointment. Whether those idolized are kings, military heroes, dictators, dignitaries, or potentates of one kind or another is of secondary importance. The mistake, figuratively speaking, consists in placing some person on a pedestal, and afterward pushing him off. This is harmful alike to those who are placed on the pedestal and to those who put them there. The needed lesson for mortals to learn is that, absolutely speaking, "there is none good but one, that is, God."
Faithful and alert worshipers of the one living and true God in all ages, even though themselves occupying exalted human positions, have seen the need of turning the thought of the people away from reliance on persons to trust in divine Mind. Thus we find the Psalmist exhorting his hearers: "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.... Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God." And Solomon, when elevated to the throne of Israel, prayed, "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?"
