The violence and deaths following claims that there were irregularities in the recent elections in Kenya have shaken many people around the world. For years, this beautiful and vibrant country has been viewed as one of the African continent's stabler democracies. But as of this writing, attempts to restore peace through support from other African leaders don't seem to be working. The situation is evolving so rapidly, however, that conditions could change at any moment.

For me, the present and pressing need isn't to discover who did or didn't do what during the elections. Rather, I'm praying to rise above the conflict that is wracking Kenya. Prayer is a way for me to contribute to peace in East Africa and the world. The prayer that can transform society is not a composite of sweeping generalizations or wistful thinking. It is specific acknowledgment of God's power and of His government right where rage and antagonism seem to be.

Mary Baker Eddy saw that transformation is attainable when consciousness is roused to acknowledge that only God is in control. She wrote, "With one Father, even God, the whole family of man would be brethren; and with one Mind and that God, or good, the brotherhood of man would consist of Love and Truth, and have unity of Principle and spiritual power which constitute divine Science" (Science and Health, pp. 469-470). To begin from the standpoint that God is All leads us to spiritually scientific brotherhood. This is spiritual conflict resolution.

Although tribalism or ethnic conflict is not confined to Kenya or even Africa, observers have pointed out that members of the Kikuyu tribe are perceived to have enjoyed disproportionate access to power and privilege, and there appears to be widespread resentment against them. This leads to instability down to the grassroots level of society. Finally, it raises questions about who should be in control of the nation.

In the larger scheme of things, tribalism has been one of the great human struggles throughout time, as one group with power tries to keep another less powerful group from enjoying its share. These struggles are based on the false premises that not all of us are children of the one God, and that there isn't enough good to go around.

As I was praying about the Kenyan situation, I was led to the Gospel of Matthew, which tells of the three wilderness temptations Jesus underwent immediately after he'd been baptized by John (see Matt. 4:1-11). At first I wondered why my attention had been drawn to this story. Then it began to dawn on me how relevant Jesus' refutations of the three temptations are to the situation in Kenya. In the first case, Jesus is tempted by hunger to turn stones into bread. This temptation assumes that the world has only limited resources, supplies that can be appropriated by one group at the expense of others. Jesus refuted this temptation with the Scriptural promise that God sustains man not by bread or material food "but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." God's word is not confined to one tribe. As an aspect of divine Love, it applies to all of us, everywhere, all the time.

As I prayed with this truth, I remembered an experience in 1991 when I was working in Zambia. President Keneth Kaunda had led his country since independence (1964) in a one-party state, and, for the first time, multiparty elections were to be held. Throughout the country, there seemed to be the conviction that those in Dr. Kaunda's circle—party members and relatives—had enjoyed too many of the resources of this developing country, and large numbers of people felt excluded.

High enthusiam threatened to turn to mob action as the campaigns grew to a fever pitch. In downtown Lusaka, the capital city, streets were crowded with chanting demonstrators, and many intersections were smoky from stacks of burning tires. There was some looting, and one car was set on fire just in front of my office. It was a tense time, but as I remember, many churches called on Zambians of all faiths to offer prayers for peace for the nation. I joined in those prayers, earnestly wishing to understand more clearly Jesus' insight that the kingdom of God was within us. I affirmed the mighty all-power of God and His government of all His children. I knew His love could be felt by everyone.

Calm quickly took the place of incipient violence, and I'm sure the nationwide call for prayer, and the response, played a huge role. The elections went on as planned and were declared free and fair by a number of prominent outside observers, including former US President Jimmy Carter. The challenger won, and Kaunda peacefully relinquished power. In the years since, Kaunda seems to have grown in stature as a respected African elder statesman, and his example of obeying the will of the people in a democratic election is held up as a model.

The second temptation Jesus faced, to cast himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, could be seen as indulging unbridled human will with no respect for others' views and then expecting God to save the situation. Such willfulness suggests that it's impossible to cast aside past differences leading to instability unless others give in to one's point of view. It risks all to get its own way.

The devil mockingly quotes Scripture, which says that angels, God's messages to humanity, are bearing us up, "lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Jesus firmly replies, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." And he is clearly relying on the Almighty throughout this experience. We too can let God show us that Love, and not willfulness, is always the solution, and is the foundation for each step we take. This leads to stability and flexibility in our human experience and, more largely, in the community.

In the third temptation, Satan offers Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. To me, this implies that those kingdoms must already be under the control of the devil, not of God, for how else would he be empowered to give them? But Jesus rejects the implication immediately. The Bible tells us, "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

By rejecting the false promise of evil and turning to God as the only power, Jesus did two things. Not only did he free himself from the temptation to look to any other supposed power besides the omnipotent God; he also rejected the claim that anyone could be separated from God's government.

The gospel account brings me to the truth that seeing that God is All inevitably unites us in the brotherhood and sisterhood of humanity. We all are God's ideas, expressing the infinite diversity of Spirit.

A vision of the overarching government of God, transcending all supposed barriers of politics, culture, language, ethnicity, even cuisine and dress, enriches our human experience and opens our hearts. This Godward alignment of thought will contribute toward dissolving self-will, hatred, self-justification, rigidity, and whatever else impedes peace and cooperation on a national or global basis. When such an alignment happens in the quiet chambers of prayer, its effects are felt worldwide. css