“Selfishness is a plague. It is an obstacle to moral progress, and must disappear from earth. The Spiritist Doctrine has the task of helping to ensure that earth ascends to a higher stage. Therefore, selfishness is the target on which all Spiritists should train their sights, summoning up all their strength and courage.
We say “courage” because people need more of it to achieve victory over themselves rather than over others. Each of you should use all your strength in the fight against your own selfishness, recognizing that this monster has devoured many minds.  This offspring of pride is at the root of all earth’s miseries. Selfishness, to put it briefly, is the enemy of love and thus the greatest barrier to human happiness.
Jesus was the example of love; Pontius Pilate an example of selfishness. As Jesus was about to begin undertaking the holy stations of His martyrdom on the cross, Pilate washed his hands of the affair, saying, “What does it matter to me!” He even said to the Jews, “This is a just man, so why do you want to crucify Him?” Yet he allowed Jesus to be led to His martyrdom.
It’s because of this endless battle between love and selfishness (which invades the human heart like a disease) that Christianity still hasn’t completed its mission. The higher spirits, however, are now inspiring you, as you are the new apostles of the faith. On your shoulders rests the responsibility for helping to eliminate this evil, and by doing so, to clear away the obstacles to the practice of the Christianity in its full force. Once selfishness is banished, earth will become a better place and a more advanced dwelling in the celestial system. The time is approaching for humanity to put on the nuptial robe- but before this can happen, selfishness must be rooted out of human hearts.”

Emmanuel, Paris, 1861- The Gospel - Explained by the Spiritist Doctrine, Chapter XI, Allan Kardec