Character and Conduct – 29 July – Influence

AND just as we may ruin our own characters without knowing it, so we may ruin the characters of others.   We are always influencing each other – a truth which I have often impressed upon you, because I feel its deep importance.   We cannot help ourselves.   And this influence, which we thus unconsciously exercise by our mere presence, by look, gesture, expression of face, is probably all the more potent for being unconscious.   There are germs of moral health or disease continually passing from us and infecting for good or ill those about us.   We read that when our Lord was on earth virtue went out of Him sometimes, and healed the bodies of those who came in contact with it.   His Divine humanity was always diffusing a spiritual atmosphere of purity around Him, which attracted, they knew not how, those who came within the sphere of His influence.  So it must be with us in so far as our characters are pure and unselfish and Christlike.   Our very presence will influence for good all who are near us, making them purer and nobler and more unselfish, and shaming what is mean and base out of them.   If, on the other hand, our characters are ignoble and impure, we shall exude, without knowing or intending it, a poisonous influence on all who come near us.  Have we not sometimes felt this mysterious influence – a presence attracting, perhaps aweing, us by some sort of spiritual magnetism;  or, on the other hand, repelling us as by the presage of impending danger?   Let us endeavour to keep this inalienable responsibility of ours always in our thoughts.   And it will be a great help to test ourselves now and then by the example of our Divine Master.

Life Here and Hereafter, Canon MAcCOLL

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These quotes are from ‘Character and Conduct’ A selection of helpful thoughts from various authors arranged for daily reading.

Collected by Constance M Whishaw and first published in 1905 as a follow up to her volume of Daily Readings for members of the Being and Doing Guild who asked for an additional volume

In her preface Whishaw writes:

‘This collection of noble thoughts expressed by men and women of past and present ages who have endeavoured to leave the world a little better than they found it.’

It is my hope in publishing them here readers may be inspired to imitate the example of the authors.