When one considers the term "gravitation," thought may be inclined to turn towards the attraction between the earth and material objects and to the story of Newton and the falling apple. But mankind has long been intrigued by the ability of birds to overcome the earth's gravitational pull and to soar upward in the air, many of them with so much ease and grace. In a passage in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy says (pp.51,512), "The fowls, which fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven, correspond to aspirations soaring beyond and above corporeality to the understanding of the incorporeal and divine Principle, Love."
For many years prior to her discovery of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy's thought had been soaring upward, gravitating away from matter to Spirit, God. She sought an understanding of the law by which Christ Jesus and his immediate followers were enabled to heal the sick and to demonstrate the power of Christianity. A few years after her discovery of this law underlying spiritual healing, Mrs. Eddy published the textbook.
It was subsequent to this date, 1875, at a time when human thought was beginning to grasp something of the true nature of God as Mind, Spirit, to gravitate away from matter, and to soar upward with spiritual aspiration, that men were enabled to build a heavier-than-air flying machine that could be navigated in the air. An airplane in its flight has to meet and overcome the resistance of the earth's gravitational pull; so we, as we endeavor to gravitate in thought to God, Spirit, find that we have to meet and overcome the resistance of material sense.
In the third chapter of Genesis this adverse influence is depicted as a serpent subtly suggesting the desirability of Adam and Eve partaking of material knowledge. Said the serpent to Eve (Gen. 3:5), "God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." In this allegory we read of the following consequences of their having eaten the forbidden fruit: the serpent was cursed; the woman was to remain subject to the man, but at war with the serpent whose head she was to bruise; and Adam was driven from the garden of Eden to till the ground.
Throughout the centuries the male thought, represented by Adam, has outwardly dominated the world. Yet a growing spiritual sense, represented by Eve, opened the way for the Christ concept to unfold in the hearts of the people. Because of her upward-soaring thought, Mary brought forth the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ, who fulfilled the law of Moses with the gospel of Love.
After the time of Jesus and his immediate followers, materialism began to lay hold of the Christian religion, and the qualities of love and spiritual apprehension were gradually pushed aside for a teaching which lacked spirituality and buttressed itself with dogmas, creeds, and ritual. But feminine thought gradually asserted itself and claimed that the womanly qualities of thought should be equal to and one with the true masculine qualities.
This upward trend of feminine thought helped to prepare for the coming of Christian Science, when Mrs. Eddy emphasized the fact that God is Mother as well as Father.
In Science and Health we read (p. 256,) "Love, the divine Principle, is the Father and Mother of the universe, including man." Since God is both Father and Mother, individual man, being the expression or reflection of God, manifests both the male and female qualities associated with God's fatherhood and motherhood. A recognition of the fact that individual, spiritual man possesses all the masculine and feminine qualities of God by reflection is a great help in purifying the human mind. Thought then gravitates more naturally to God.
The action of Truth upon the human mind may be illustrated by the coming of dawn to the darkness of night. It may seem that the darkness becomes less dark as the light begins to appear; but what actually happens is that light gradually takes the place of darkness, and finally the darkness vanishes altogether.
When the evil in the human mind begins to yield to the influence of the divine Mind, evil is on the way to destruction. Eventually all the error in the human mind will disappear, for the infinitude of the divine Mind will have been demonstrated. The spiritual gravitation of thought and the purification of the human mind bring health and harmony into one's life.
The Apostle James says (4:8), "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." As human thought in general begins to appreciate something of what spiritual gravitation means, better conditions will prevail among men and nations. Mankind will learn that they no longer need to go to war in settlement of international disputes.
In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says (p. 265), "Mortals must gravitate Godward, their affections and aims grow spiritual,—they must near the broader interpretations of being, and gain some proper sense of the infinite,—in order that sin and mortality may be put off."
Students of Christian Science find that as they earnestly turn to divine Mind and endeavor to gravitate Godward in thought, they learn how to overcome the opposite influence of animal magnetism, which tries to hold thought to matter and material concepts. Mrs. Eddy is very definite in teaching the necessity of standing guard over thought. In her writings, she shows the presence and power of Truth, but she also unveils error and clearly indicates the need for recognizing its subtle claims and' dealing with them.
"But," it may be argued, "if God is good and is All, and if evil therefore is nought, why do we need to defend ourselves from what is really nothing?" Let us take this illustration. We have learned in Christian Science that there is no real substance in matter, but suppose we come to a busy thoroughfare and wish to cross it. Do we ignore the passing traffic and walk straight into the road, thinking that since there is no matter, there are no motorcars? No. We recognize that we are only at the beginning of our demonstration of the fact that all is Mind and that matter is nought; hence we cannot afford to ignore the passing stream of traffic. We wait for a break in the line and cross in safety.
In defending ourselves from the influence of aggressive suggestions, we should avoid two extremes: the one which assumes that since in reality there is no error, there is no need to do anything about it, and the other which makes a reality of evil, giving it power and fearing it. If we recognize the serpent of sin and error when it appears and then see that since it has no origin in God, good, it has neither entity nor power, we are able to handle and overcome erroneous suggestions.
The effort to spiritualize thought and thus gravitate Godward is true prayer. Such prayer, backed as it is in Christian Science with the knowledge of perfect God, Spirit, and perfect, spiritual man, will bring a rich reward in a fuller experience of health, happiness, and well-being. Moreover, we may be assured that those with whom we come into contact will feel the benefits of our spiritual gravitation.
