Article March 15, 1993 Issue

Bringing healing to controversy

Human solutions to controversy fall short of the healing possibilities revealed by prayer.

Harriet Barry Schupp

A Few years ago I was part of a group involved in a public controversy. The question was eventually decided in what most considered an intelligent way, yet there were dissenters. About a year later, one of them wrote a letter to our local newspaper stating in strong terms what a disaster the decision had been. Since I had firsthand knowledge of the conditions, I wrote a letter to the editor refuting those claims and stating the good things I knew to be going on. When my letter was published, I had quite a feeling of satisfaction that I had "set the record straight." My satisfaction was short-lived, however. A few days later there was a letter on the subject from another person, full of opposing opinions.

As I thought about this, I realized how futile it was to think that anyone's personal opinion of a situation would be the final one, or even the right one.

What do we do, then, when we are in a controversy, and it seems important to stand up for what we think is right? Our first step might be to try to see beyond mere human reactions and to stop rehearsing what she said and then he said. Instead we can view the situation as an opportunity to gain a clearer assessment of reality—of the true, spiritual nature of existence as created by God, infinite Spirit.

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