Article March 19, 2018 Issue

Fostering trust in each other

Martha C. Sarvis

This past summer, The Christian Science Monitor Daily referenced a Wall Street Journal report indicating that the share of Americans who feel “most people can be trusted” has fallen from 46 percent in 1972 to 31 percent in 2016. The Monitor added: “Trust has always been essential to free economies. In that light, the most important American deficit right now might be one of trust—in one another” (August 2, 2017).

Wherever we live in the world, trust is fundamental to accomplishing many tasks in our daily lives. I find that daily prayer is a strong foundation for trust-filled relationships—prayer that lifts thought to God and affirms everyone’s true identity as God’s perfect, spiritual expression. It protects and enhances our ability to trust. It also sharpens our discernment.

An experience with a coworker in my previous career really challenged me to find a solid foundation for trust. This person’s untrustworthy actions had jeopardized the timely completion of a project. Another colleague offered a solution, and ultimately, the project came to a timely and successful conclusion. But I found it difficult to forgive the individual who had not been forthright about his part of the project.

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