The first need of the spirits

In the final part of his book Practical Instruction on Spirit Manifestations, work published in 1858, Allan Kardec says Spiritism is the most auxiliary powerful of religious ideas, because it gives to man the conviction of his future destiny, and as this it should be welcomed as a benefit to mankind. He revived in more than a heart faith in Providence, revived hope in place of doubt, ripped more than one victim from suicide, restored peace and harmony in families, calmed hatreds, deadened brutal passions, disarmed vengeance and took resignation to the suffering soul.

That said, the encoder concluded: 

"Is it subversive of social and public order? A doctrine that condemns hatred and selfishness, which preaches selflessness, love of neighbor, without exception of sect or caste; it may not excite hostile passions. And it would be desirable for the peace of the world and the happiness of mankind, that all men understand and practice these principles: there would have nothing more to fear from each other." (Ibid, translation Cairbar Schutel, Chapter XI, page 189.) (The bold is ours.) 

Comparing the text above with what is observed in spirit labors, it is not difficult for anyone to observe that practice does not always follow the theory. And it does not follow because we, incarnate beings, do not have the habit of paying attention to the numerous reminders that spiritual Benefactors long have sent us.

Here is one of them, too well known and certainly ignored: 

"The first need of the medium is evangelize itself before surrendering to the great doctrinal tasks, because otherwise it can always run into the ghost of personalism, to the detriment of its mission." (The Comforter, question 387.) (The bold is ours.) 

One of the major problems we face in the spirit center and the spirit labors in general is exactly personalism, which generates the touchiness, misunderstanding and huge problems of relationship, unexplained when the characters involved are spirit believers.

Emmanuel, author of The Comforter, said in the same book, pages later, why many mediums have failed in their important task - not refer here solely to psychics or trance mediums, but all mediums: intuitive, passes camera workers, curators, enlightening...

Two enemies appear ahead.

The first enemy, says Emmanuel, lies within themselves. It is often personalism, ambition, ignorance or rebellion in ignorance of their duties in the light of the Gospel, which frequently leads them to a lack of wakefulness, to frivolity and confusion of unproductive fields.

The second enemy of psychic apostolate is located in the very heart of spirit institutions, when the individual is convinced about the phenomena, but it is not converted to the Gospel by heart and brings into the ranks of Spiritism its personal whims, its lower passions, its harmful trends. Talk about charity, humbling all fraternal principles. Ironical, accusers come often as frivolous and restless children.

If in the group in which we operate such things still happen, let us remember the warnings of Emmanuel, played above, which were psychographic by Chico Xavier 75 years ago...