This is a marvelous age to understand that man is spiritual instead of material. It is a unique and critical time in history to realize that the unity we can have with each other stems directly from our understanding of the unity man eternally has with Spirit, God.

Mankind has left behind an era when individuals scattered around the globe could easily isolate themselves from the rest of the world. We've broken into the era of widespread interdependence.

Many see a great deal of promise in this coming together—the demand to work things out as a team on this small planet. Yes, there is much promise; yet major challenges must be faced as people are drawn together. Contrasting political ideologies and economic systems, even cultural differences themselves, may disrupt the drift toward a measure of unity.

But something far more significant is at the base of many disturbances: differences in convictions that relate to the nature of being and reality. Of all the factors constituting an individual's makeup, none are so ingrained, and so strongly motivate his actions, as convictions that are grounded in concepts regarding the nature of existence. Man's relationship to the universe, what God is, persuasions regarding truth itself—all these perceptions give rise to powerful individual and collective mental forces. These mental forces have strong, distinctive flavors. They do not blend naturally.

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, atheism, Judaism, and others contribute significantly to the forces that shape attitudes, desires, goals. When the varying interests of these thrusts of thought converge, the results may be puzzling. Sometimes confusion is felt. Antagonism may erupt. Envy may surface. The point is that people cannot effectively be drawn together by being pulled into a merely surface relationship—based, for example, on economic factors—a relationship that doesn't take into account intrinsic differences involving deep-rooted perceptions about the meaning of existence.

Some advocate combining the best beliefs of each group, hoping that people can unite on the basis of a human brotherhood. But material existence, underpinned with varying concepts about the nature of God and man (or the denial of God entirely), contains an array of incompatible states of thought.

The ability to work together in harmony must stem from something far more powerful than mortal relationships. Mental forces, those that provide human consciousness with basic motivation and attitude, greatly need the spiritual insights contributed by the Science of Christianity. Only then will conflict, confusion, antagonism, be neutralized.

Genuine brotherhood is impelled by the fatherhood of God. God's fatherhood does not give rise to conflicting mortal attitudes and opinions regarding Himself. His creation is spiritual—He is the substance of all being. God is Spirit. He is One. And man is the representation, the individual manifestation, of Spirit. There is no disagreement in Spirit. Divine substance, the basis of all consciousness, is pure harmony; it does not include strife, antagonism, discord.

When this true view of reality is applied specifically and consistently through prayer to discordant human affairs, the edges of conflict begin to wear down. The sharp underlying differences that shape human consciousness, and therefore events and relationships, begin to conform to God's will. Brotherhood is placed on a more realistic foundation because its native perfection is beginning to dawn.

Genuine unification cannot be merely a pasting together of common mortal interests. Final unity is man's individual relationship to one supreme God. Only as this relationship is understood to be entirely spiritual will harmony and genuine progress become the norm for humanity. Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, writes, "One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself;' annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,—whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed." ^{Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 340;}

The interrelationships around the world that have sometimes sparked confusion, antagonism, even vindictiveness, will find healing as man's relationship to God is adequately defined and understood. Ultimately all differences boil down to diverging perceptions of the nature of reality; mistaken concepts of God; ignorance of God.

The answer is not, of course, that people holding widely diverse views should have no contact. The answer is for those who recognize this source of conflict to bring to bear their understanding of reality—to alleviate discord through an understanding of one God and His perfect manifestation. In reality there are no divergent thoughts of God. God is Mind; He is the source of all thought. Man is the expression of one God.

God reveals His oneness through Christ, through the divine message of perfection. Paul tells us that God's purpose is "that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth." ^{Eph. 1:10.}

As the interaction of peoples continues to grow, we should be wise enough to protect the integrity of Christianity by practicing an essential aspect of its message—healing conflict by understanding that Christ awakens us to full unification with God. Christ reveals the family of man fully reflecting the peace and harmony that come of unity with Mind.

NATHAN A. TALBOT