Striking at the Root

Audio: Striking at the Root

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In his first publication, Modern Thought, Charles Fillmore pointed out that they would “… sympathize with reform movements of every kind, …  but it is not our province to become identified with them all, nor to give them a hearing in these columns.”

This position was maintained by the Unity Movement until recent times. Today, under the guise of spiritual social action, many leaders in Unity have taken a definitive turn toward social activism. As an institution devoted to teaching spiritual principles, Independent Unity will not follow this trend. Our sole purpose is to provide the teachings and environment that encourage the spiritual awakening of the individual.  

How is this different from advocating so-called spiritual social action, and why is it important to make such a distinction? Jesus advised rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s. While he does not present this as an either/or proposition, he does make a clear distinction between social responsibilities and spiritual interests. And for good reason.

Social issues become politically charged because they center around the underlying question of how government should be used. Should government give the man a fish, for example, or should it encourage him to learn to fish? If we are to maintain a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” then this is indeed a very important question, but one that clearly falls under Caesar’s domain. Contrary to the belief of some, the study of spiritual principles—God’s domain—does not provide a definitive answer to this question. Here’s why.  

The principles involved in the spiritual awakening do not pertain to how the fish is acquired. Coming to know oneself at the soul level, that is, finding one’s spiritual center of power, involves spending time alone, in quiet, letting go of all external distractions. This process has absolutely nothing to do with attempting to strike a balance in real or perceived social inequalities.

A ministry focused on the spiritual awakening of the individual is not denying the social aspects or political concerns of the human experience. It is, in fact, representing the highest possible solution to social ills. Many so-called social-justice warriors have clearly lost their center of power. They need a cause, any cause, to feel whole. The moment they’re done marching for one, they jump on another. Thoreau recognized the type.

“There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root, and it may be that he who bestows the largest amount of time and money on the needy is doing the most by his mode of life to produce that misery which he strives in vain to relieve.”

The best leaders are those who have discovered their true spiritual center of power. These strike at the root by bringing the highest level of mental, emotional and spiritual sanity to any given issue. These are the ones that will find Independent Unity attractive.