Conservatives Versus liberals. Congress versus the President. Democrats versus Republicans. Incumbents versus new candidates. Every Federal election cycle produces its own share of heated rhetoric that tends to focus on differences rather than on the common ideas that bind us.

What's the best way to respond to the attack ads appearing on TV or to headlines proclaiming that Congress is in gridlock? It may be tempting to shake your head at what goes on in almost any national capital and give up on "the whole lot of them." But I've found it helpful to approach the political process from a spiritual perspective.

Maybe you've heard the saying that "all politics is local." To me, this means that voters generally like the politician that represents them. They may not like the Congress as a whole, but they do like their own representative. Oddly enough, over the years this has helped me—as an American—see members of Congress as individuals, rather than as a collective body comprised of people with differing viewpoints and perspectives. The first chapter of Genesis in the Bible says God made male and female in His image—in other words, like God, and therefore spiritual—and that must certainly apply to each elected official, whether or not you agree with him or her.

I once worked as a staffer to a US Congressman. He was involved in a leadership-level negotiation on the Federal budget, involving Congress and White House officials. The negotiators had been slowly clawing their way toward an agreement, when tempers flared and several lead negotiators stormed out of the room. It appeared that all our work was for naught and that no agreement would be reached—and that it would be people around the country who would suffer the most if we failed.

I found a quiet corner and began praying. It occurred to me that each participant was in reality God's creation. Consequently, each had to be intelligent, humble, peaceful, and productive—the man or woman God made. I saw clearly that God created them capable of working together in a productive, amicable way.

I remembered a passage in Science and Health: "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" (p. 340).

I became totally convinced that God was actively unifying His creation right then and there—even where strife and contention appeared to be. And that because all this activity was going on under God's direction, nothing could suffer or be destroyed. I don't know all that went on in everyone's mind at that time, but I was delighted when, within a short period, the negotiators returned to work, and in just a few days a final agreement was reached.

It is often said that Washington, D.C., is a magnet for self-important political types with exalted egos and mad ambitions. And yet, just as voters find good reasons to admire the person who represents them in Congress, I've found that this city attracts many wonderful people who sincerely enjoy public service. They serve their country well, with grace and humility.

Political power can be seductive, however, as I learned early on. When I first began working in the government arena, I was hired as a caseworker in a Congressman's office. A caseworker's job is to untangle the bureaucratic red tape that constituents face. The tasks can be varied, from finding lost Social Security checks to helping people obtain visas for international travel.

At one point, I was working on three cases that I felt were meritorious and deserved a positive resolution—but there wasn't one in sight for any of them. While the Federal agency officials involved were trying to help, I felt that a request from a US Congressperson should be answered immediately and that a resolution should be found. I have to confess that my tone and manner became quite demanding as the possibility of solutions became dimmer and dimmer.

Every sign said impasse, so once again I prayed. I came across a verse in the Bible that counsels to avoid "the pride of life," which "is not of the Father, but is of the world" (I John 2:16). And I remembered, too, that Mary Baker Eddy urged Christian Scientists—and that could mean anyone who's seeking to understand God—to "... renounce aggression, oppression and the pride of power" (Science and Health, p. 451). The message to me was clear: Pride and ego needed to be replaced in my thoughts with the humility that seeks and follows God's direction.

Soon after that I had a change of heart. I started seeing things with a less demanding attitude, and the three cases were resolved smoothly. One case involved reuniting of a mother and her son, and that brought a lot of happiness to everyone concerned.

More recently, I've enjoyed working as a consultant, developing legislative strategies for companies and other organizations looking for ways to work with Congress effectively. I am no longer an "insider" who works for a member of Congress, and it has been challenging to watch from the sidelines as Congress determines whether the proposals I have advanced will fly or not.

On one occasion, I was working on behalf of a proposed water storage project that, if authorized by Congress, would be funded jointly by the Federal government and a local community. Not only did Congress have to enact legislation to make the project fly, but also the Federal agency involved had to approve a cost-sharing formula and the wording in the legislation. Not an easy task, especially during a year when Congress was showing no interest in considering any proposals of this kind.

I felt that the project represented good public policy, and I knew that it had a lot of support from many people. But how to make it happen? And how to do it from "outside" of the process?

As I was praying about it, I found these words about God's work from Psalms: "For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast" (33:9). The Bible mentions no opposition, no questioning, no doubt, no discouragement. God spoke, and it happened. I reasoned that a sound idea/proposal/concept had to be one that was based/directed/created by God. And if He meant it to be, it occurred to me, God would "speak" it into being.

I quit pushing on this proposal and left it all to God. Congress finally did approve legislation allowing this project to move ahead. I personally felt that the legislative language adopted was inadequate to get the job done. But I trusted that God's work was complete; and in fact the language enacted turned out to be just what was needed to make the project happen.

As another election day approaches and the rhetoric and debate continues, as pundits once more describe a dysfunctional government, I find myself wanting to stay close to God—to pray for a clearer look at His government of the entire universe. The body politic benefits from prayer just as much as the human mind and body. It just takes the aid of a growing coalition of spiritual activists. What a worthwhile community to be part of during this campaign season—and many more to come!