Online discussions and spiritual discernment

Comments concerning news articles discussed on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and in other social media sometimes turn into arguments. People may have strong opinions that put them in conflict with comments others have made, and they feel they must respond. How can people possibly make peace with each other when there are so many points of view? 

For me, the first step toward finding common ground is silent prayer, listening to God, divine Mind, for spiritual ideas that reveal our unity with God and with one another as God’s spiritual reflection. This allows me to see beyond my own opinions, look deeper into what is stated and not stated in the conversation, and to affirm that God, good, the all-knowing Mind, is the only Mind, and is guiding despite the false impression that vitriol and turbulence are in command.

How can we possibly make peace with each other when there are so many points of view?

Seeing God as the divine source we all reflect gives us common ground to find solutions to today’s problems. We can listen with receptivity for spiritual understanding, purify our motives, and pursue the goal of the Golden Rule: doing unto others as we would have them do unto us (see Matthew 7:12).

The other day, I made a comment on a Facebook post about a current issue that seems troubling to many Americans. One person responded saying that she had firsthand experience and knew how a group of people were taking advantage. Another person countered that this position was somewhat calloused and harsh and should be reconsidered. The matter only escalated as lengthy comments justified each position, and arguments hardened.

As I read, I began to look for the good in the conversation. Was there something that stood out as positive in either argument? And it became clear to me that arguing was getting nowhere. I pondered what I could have done, or could I do now, to prevent friction? It felt as if a true dialogue, or an exchange of ideas, was missing. And it’s the dialogue that’s important, not judging who is right or wrong. When people argue without listening to one another, they sometimes get off track, get defensive, stumble for words or mix up the facts, and occasionally they get too distracted to face the problems we encounter as a society, and then they are unable to work together for solutions. 

When I eventually added my own comment to the mix, I began by thanking the parties for their comments. My next step was to pray silently, acknowledging that each person who read, wrote, or viewed the commentary was, and is, a child of God. This means that in reality each one is appreciated, valued, loved, and blessed with the qualities that they reflect from divine Mind. 

This kind of prayer quiets the fear that it’s naive to believe there can be sufficient agreement or compromise; it establishes in our consciousness the unity that exists among God’s children in the one Mind, the one intelligent source of all. No matter whether I agree or not with the comments in a forum or blog, unselfed prayer always brings me back to a productive calm, so I try to practice recognizing that the nature of God’s children is to express good, not evil; to speak wisely and not be tricked by misquotes or misconceptions; to seek and see what’s spiritually true; to listen with an open mind to others’ views.

This kind of prayer quiets the fear that it’s naive to believe there can be sufficient agreement or compromise.

Prayer is also a key step toward shaking off the various sneaky labels that mortal mind would attach to men and women. We have one creator who created us spiritually, not materially. In Genesis, it says “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (1:26). It follows that all-knowing Father-Mother God loves us, knows us, and will enable us to find the answers we seek. Prayerful thought based on spiritual understanding sets aside pride, ignorance, and stubborn will, and allows humility, wisdom, and respect to emerge. This is possible even in a world that is filled with differing human opinions and ideas. 

By prayerfully thinking about the comments being made, I feel freed from the idea that people have such divided opinions and beliefs that they can never agree. It allows me to see the good that people naturally express in their quest to do what is right. Prayer uplifts my thought, and this seems to me to be more valuable than any comment online.

Mary Baker Eddy says in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded; whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders man’s normal drift towards the one Mind, one God, and leads human thought into opposite channels where selfishness reigns” (p. 205).

Mortal habits and views may lead us into arguments, but absolute Principle, Mind, unites us in the harmony that is our divine right.