Addressing public issues and coming up with solutions is a passion of mine. But because opposing political parties prioritize different values and hold contrasting views of what should be done, it can be frustrating to try to find common-ground solutions. Many problems are left unsolved, with the parties angry and unwilling to work with each other.

In my involvement with public issues, I’ve found that I can address these impediments to progress through prayer. I’ve learned in Christian Science that each of us is a spiritual expression of God—an idea of the divine Mind, the only Mind, which is governing all, always. How, then, could there be conflict or blockages among spiritual ideas all sourced in the same Mind? My prayers have helped me to see that there cannot be. Focusing on conflict, blockages, and other types of inharmony would mean that I was seeing people as mortals rather than as the spiritual ideas of God’s creating. So I’ve instead begun acknowledging God’s creation as spiritual and harmonious and basing my thinking about others and the issues on this healing foundation.

The Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, says: “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” (Mary Baker Eddy, p. 340). I affirm that because God is governing each person and the universe, He is properly and harmoniously ordering His entire creation. God needs, values, and has a right place for each of His children and doesn’t forget, dismiss, or lose any of them. And being from the same source, all individuals, though unique, are naturally in harmony with one another.