Some time ago my supervisor moved my office to a new room with a window, which filled the room with light. I shared this space with a new employee, but when I returned from vacation I found she had removed my things from my desk and replaced them with her own. I was moved to an interior, rather dark room with a new office mate. I also noticed that the new employee had evidently spread lies about me during my absence.

I expressed friendship to colleagues, seeing all as God made them, perfect, loving, and cooperative.

At first, it was an effort to watch my thinking and not react. I loved my job, felt well-placed, had enjoyed a good relationship with the staff, and this new turn of events threatened that previous success. However, I knew reacting was not the right thing to do. It wasn’t fear that kept me from responding to my colleague in kind, nor did I feel victimized; it was the sure trust that God, Mind, was directing me and would lead me to say the right thing at the right time. I had experienced instances in the past where I’d spoken up when I felt a situation needed correcting. But on this occasion I felt sure that applying prayerful truths based on God—the only Truth—would adjust the situation peaceably.

I spent time after work praying and studying the Bible and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered and founded Christian Science. The stories in the Bible concerning the prophets, apostles, and Jesus, were powerful examples of forgiveness that transformed lives. I agreed with Mrs. Eddy’s statement: “Christian Scientists are practically non-resistants; they are too occupied with doing good, observing the Golden Rule, to retaliate or to seek redress” (Message to The Mother Church Boston, Massachusetts June, 1901, p. 30). I put these ideas into practice and at work continued to reach out to express friendship to colleagues, seeing all as God made them, perfect, loving, and cooperative. I knew that because divine Mind governs, none of His ideas could be duped into believing a lie, and nothing was out of His loving control.

As time went on, the light of true understanding grew in my thinking more than any window in my office could bring.This was Love imparting the spiritual understanding I needed, leading me to practice love by seeing everyone I came in contact with as God made them to be, and to express love to my fellow workers even more. The Bible says, “God is the Lord, which hath shewed us light” (Psalm 118:27). To love God and our fellow man is living in the light of true understanding. 

I affirmed that the omnipotence and omnipresence of Love was governing all.

Mrs. Eddy states: “Truth destroys falsity and error, for light and darkness cannot dwell together. Light extinguishes the darkness, and the Scripture declares that there is ‘no night there.’ To Truth there is no error,—all is Truth. To infinite Spirit there is no matter,—all is Spirit, divine Principle and its idea” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 474). In working with these ideas, I realized that no darkness—no misunderstanding or hate—could rule anyone’s thought, and I affirmed that the omnipotence and omnipresence of Love was governing all. Acknowledging Love’s government rather than the fallacious reports of the material senses, brought equanimity and peace to my thought. I was living the truth that spiritual man, expressing the light of Christ and created in the image and likeness of God, is wholly good and spiritual (see Genesis 1:27, 31). I trusted God completely with the outcome.

After a few months, our administrative assistant came in to apologize for believing the lies about me. Gratefully, I noticed my co-workers’ attitude toward me had also adjusted to the previous goodwill we’d experienced before this incident. This was a natural spiritual evolution based in the truths I’d been cherishing, and proof that healing was taking place. And—when the whole office moved to a new building, I got a new office with the best picture window ever!

Acknowledging the spiritual facts of any discordant situation, and seeing everyone as God sees them, will bring the peace that transforms the hearts of mankind.