AN EXPERIENCE I had a few years ago helped me to understand better the question "What is truth"—not as a philosophical, debatable point, but by viewing God as Truth itself, the ultimate force, whose presence and action we can witness.

I was working at the French embassy in a developing country. Included in my responsibilities was the administration of economic assistance in the form of bilateral concessionary credits. We had a few ongoing projects, and, because of the country's good standing in the international community, we were willing to expand our assistance. In spite of my encouragement, however, the country failed to present us with projects that met our technical and financial criteria. During the last quarter of each fiscal year, I had had to let go of a significant amount of credits initially reserved for this country, so they could be used elsewhere. Amid intense international competition for these funds, this inactivity prompted questions from Paris.

I had sufficient knowledge of local affairs to easily point out the roadblocks we were encountering. Yet I knew that I had to look beyond them in order to move forward. And so I prayed with the Psalmist, "O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles" (43:3).

Until then, our projects, and prospects, were centrally directed to specific regions and sectors. As I prayed, it occurred to me that we needed to diversify and expand our contacts. So, I decided to go to various areas, ones we didn't normally visit, that were experiencing economic and demographic growth, and approach the local authorities directly. In my presentations to them, to indicate the existence of untapped resources, I shared data indicating that over the past four years less than 20 percent of the credits made available had actually been used. I was well received, and we had mutually profitable discussions. Unbeknown to me, this information, including the data, then appeared in a national newspaper.

I considered my mission a success, but my enthusiasm cooled when a minister wrote the French ambassador quoting the news article to demand an explanation with the threat of having me expelled from the country for involvement in domestic affairs. The ambassador was clearly concerned. I assured him that I could justify my actions, and retired to my office to pray and ponder my reply.

I turned to God and prayed, again from Psalms, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts" (139:23). I concluded that my motives were pure and my actions innocent. I felt that I had leaned on God's truth in prayer to guide my actions. I was at peace.

But the situation was serious and complex. I knew my reply needed to bring out the spiritual sense of things. This statement by Mary Baker Eddy was helpful: "As mortal mind, or the material sense of life, is put off, the spiritual sense and Science of being is brought to light" (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, p. 82). I wrote a letter stressing facts and policies, putting into perspective our actions over several years, the challenges at hand, and the good that could unfold. The ambassador accepted it, and the letter was sent to the minister. I kept praying and found this Bible assurance comforting: "His truth shall be thy shield and buckler" (Ps. 91:4).

There was no immediate reaction from the ministry, but in the next few days, the German ambassador and then the Japanese ambassador declared in interviews to the press that their experiences corroborated what I had reported. By then I knew that something significant was unfolding.

Two days later I had a friendly call from the under-minister suggesting that we needed to talk. We met and engaged in a constructive dialogue. A few weeks later an international working group of donor countries was formed. Its purpose was to set up an objective and transparent system that would identify and qualify projects for international financing, to ensure the optimum use of available funds.

I felt my prayer had triggered a sequence of actions, but it was not my own doing. Clearly Truth, God, had been at work, preparing all the parties to bring about this collective effort that vitally improved a process with the potential to benefit many.

I had been a witness to divine Truth, God, in action—guiding, protecting, and uplifting everyone with its universal goodness. |css