CURIOUS OR...?

A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, a friend remarked, "Beware of curiosity."

That sounded profound and caught my attention, but I wasn't quite sure what he meant by it. It could have been another version of the popular expression "Curiosity killed the cat," but since my friend was a deep spiritual thinker, I knew he must have had something else in mind.

My dictionary defines curiosity as "a strong desire to learn or know something." And so it's natural that I had always thought of human curiosity as something to be desired—that it encourages creativity, promotes spontaneity, motivates exploration, and causes one to think outside the box. However, I had given little thought to the effect curiosity might have on one's spiritual growth.

These musings got me thinking about two familiar Bible stories in which the outcomes were significantly different. In the tale of Adam and Eve (Gen. chaps. 2-3), Eve's curiosity led her to eat the forbidden fruit, and thereby allegedly doomed all humanity to a life of good and evil. Whereas in another narrative, when Moses was drawn to investigate a flaming bush that was not consumed by the fire, God spoke to him—directing Moses to lead the children of Israel out of bondage.

Both Eve and Moses appear to have been motivated by curiosity, but upon closer inspection I decided that this wasn't the case. Eve's interest was sensual gratification. Moses' was divine inclination, through which he was open to receiving God's message.

These accounts showed me the importance of deciding quickly and accurately what might be motivating me in my daily thoughts. Curiosity—or divine inclination? And I now understood better what Mary Baker Eddy meant when she wrote, "... it is wise earnestly to consider whether it is the human mind or the divine Mind which is influencing one" (Science and Health, pp. 82-83). In Eve's case, it was the human mind at work, whereas Moses tuned in to the divine Mind.

Science and Health explains another effective way to evaluate the influences around us: "Hold thought steadfastly to the enduring, the good, and the true ..." (p. 261). This is the litmus test we can apply to our thoughts in order to separate curiosity from divine inclination.

What are we "inclined" toward?

Curiosity is an ego-driven pull, oftentimes encouraging us to examine or participate in such things as gossip, physical symptoms, immorality, bad habits, speculation, and criticism. When it comes as an urge to investigate and/or experiment in base mortal pursuits, it results in less than good, enduring, or true outcomes.

We generally think of the temptations to think or be ungodlike as coming from without—in the form of false beliefs held throughout the world, information in the media, conversations about the body, hearsay about family and friends. Yet, curiosity seems to come from within—from our personal desire simply to know something more. This makes curiosity very subtle, often beguiling, and difficult to identify. Mortal mind baits the hook with temptation. Curiosity impels us to take the bait. And the serpent thought reels us in.

Motivated by curiosity, we may behave irresponsibly and indulge in alcohol, tobacco, or drugs; read inferior books or watch tawdry movies; check out videos or Internet sites that are less than wholesome; accept foolish dares; engage in speculation about another's behavior. Our curiosity can have us checking out physical symptoms, assigning them to a disease, and thereby giving the disease validity. Human curiosity keeps the focus on material effects, which prompts us to search for material causes for all kinds of events and situations, instead of keeping firmly in mind that God is the only cause and therefore the only effect.

As I gained a better understanding of all this, I concluded that my friend's "beware of curiosity" comment is extremely good advice when it comes to spiritual progress. But I wasn't ready to release this pursuit just yet.

Is God curious"?

I love the Glossary in Science and Health, which often gives both spiritual and human meanings for the same entry, and which always points the reader heavenward. However, curiosity is not one of the entries. So I asked myself several questions about the term and applied spiritual answers as I went along.

Question: Is God curious?

Conclusion: No. God, infinite Mind, is the only cause and creator. There is nothing unknown to God.

Question: Can man as God's image and likeness be curious?

Conclusion: He cannot be, for as God's reflection he already and always knows what God, Mind, knows.

Question: Jesus was the highest human model for all humanity. Is there any record of Jesus being curious?

Conclusion: He did ask questions that at first might appear to be the result of curiosity, but they were always asked for the purpose of revealing some spiritual fact and/or to make a metaphysical point to his listeners. It never appears that Jesus himself needed to learn or know something through his questioning.

In fact, at times Jesus answered questions that he discerned people were thinking before they even asked (see Mark 9:33-35; Luke 7:39, 40; and John 4:17-19). He was spiritually intuitive. Science and Health refers to this kind of phenomenon: "There is mortal mind-reading and immortal Mind-reading. The latter is a revelation of divine purpose through spiritual understanding, by which man gains the divine Principle and explanation of all things" (p. 83). As I pondered that last sentence, I realized that if Science and Health had included the word curiosity in the Glossary, it might have been explained something like this: Curiosity. (1) A strong desire to know or learn something materially. (2) Divine inclination; a revelation of divine purpose through spiritual understanding, by which one gains the divine Principle and explanation of all things.

Question: Does the Bible illustrate both definitions?

Conclusion: Yes. The book of Genesis gives the account of Lot, Moses' nephew. God directed Lot and his family to flee and have nothing to do with Sodom and Gomorrah. God's message, in effect, was that Lot should let every dimension of this wicked place pass from his life and thoughts. That he shouldn't entertain any of it for even a second more. However, Lot's wife was curious (see the first definition—"a strong desire to know or learn something materially"). So she disobeyed God's command, and out of curiosity, looked back on the burning cities. And by disobeying, she turned into a pillar of salt. What a price to pay for curiosity!

However, another account in Genesis, the story of Noah and the ark, shows that Noah's receptivity (see the second definition—"divine inclination") led him to build the ark, guided by spiritual understanding—which provided all of the complex details required to complete the task. The story recounts that not only Noah's family but the entire world was set on a new course. And all because of Noah's divine inclination to listen to God.

Question: What part did curiosity play in Jesus' mission?

Conclusion: Jesus' desire—above and beyond all else—was to know and do the will of God. This total reliance on his divine source enabled him to say, "Not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42) and to take all the steps that led to his final ascension.

Taking a stand for divine Mind's leading

One of my favorite Bible stories is the account of Jesus' three temptations (see Matt. 4:1-11). This account demonstrates the importance of identifying and destroying human curiosity quickly and effectively—by totally relying on God's power and presence. After 40 days in the wilderness, the devil (temptation coming to Jesus as his own thoughts) suggested that he was without provisions, that he was without protection, and that materiality could give him true pleasure. From a mortal standpoint, Jesus appeared to be at his weakest point—hungry, vulnerable, and lacking in any creature comforts. But it turns out that Jesus was at his most fortified in this wilderness experience, because he had been consciously communing with God for over a month.

The first suggestion of mortal thought was, "You must be starving. Can't you as the Son of God, make these stones bread so you can eat and regain your strength?" However, Jesus didn't take the bait, but instead claimed that his true food is the Word of God.

Then came the thought (devil, mortal mind, error) saying that if he is really God's chosen, he should be able to jump off the top of the temple in Jerusalem and not be harmed. This suggestion further tempted him because of the assertion that if he really was the Son of God then angels would prevent him from even striking one foot on the ground. Jesus dismissed this thought with the statement: "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" (Matt. 4:7).

Lastly, the thought came that if he would just team up with the devil (i.e., give in to a material concept of his own nature and of all reality), he could have the entire world for his pleasure. All Jesus would need to do was agree with this thought. But he was repulsed by the suggestion and responded with the forceful command: "Get thee hence, Satan" (Matt. 4:10), thereby reaffirming that he would never worship anyone or anything but his Father-Mother God.

I like to think of these temptations as the three P's—Provision, Protection, and Pleasure—which symbolize to me the whole gamut of materiality, what Mary Baker Eddy called, "the world, the flesh, and all evil" (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, p. 125). One by one, Jesus destroyed each new temptation as it was presented, making it obvious that he wasn't curious about anything the devil—erroneous, matter-based thinking—had to offer.

The Bible states that Jesus was without sin, but nevertheless that he was "in all points tempted" (Heb. 4:15). We all have to deal with temptation, just as Jesus did, yet how did he remain "unspotted from the world" (James 1:27)? He obviously was acutely aware of evil (devil) suggestions, because he destroyed every phase of them. Without curiosity or a desire to learn more about the temptation, Jesus ensured that sin could not enter his consciousness. His example shows that if we, too, are to resist temptation, we first need to destroy the pull of human curiosity about sin.

As I came to see, curiosity and divine inclination are definitely not synonymous, though they might appear to be so to the casual observer. We can tell the difference by asking ourselves whether or not we are motivated by ideas that are good, enduring, and true. Then we will know if it is mortal mind or immortal Mind influencing us. So often, mere curiosity promotes materiality as being good—often necessary—and encourages us to accept, in some form, the temptation that matter alone can provide for us, protect us, or give us pleasure. Giving in to this kind of curiosity is venturing into the testimony of the five senses, where the outcomes are fading and fleeting. Yet by following divine inclination, we take literally this Bible promise recorded in the book of Jeremiah: "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jer. 29:11).

The words "expected end" do not portend a stopping point somewhere in time and space. Rather, they promise the expected outcome of health, harmony, purity, beauty, wisdom, and joy—infinite and eternal. And as we progress spiritually, we will no longer have to "beware of curiosity." We will learn to see curiosity for what it is, refute it, and follow the leadings of divine inclination.