Whose will in Iraq?

A recent article in The Christian Science Monitor highlighted how the neutral phrase “support our troops” is increasingly being used in political debates “to justify various options for the war” in Iraq. (“Homefront salute for soldiers in Iraq,” March 22, 2007.)

This idea that being willing to “support our troops” regardless of one’s politics can itself be politicized led me to ask myself if the concept could be spiritualized. By that I mean, is there a kind of support that can be offered by all, in unity, whatever our political perspective and regardless of which side of this battle or any battle we feel we are on?

I think there is! There’s often talk of sacrifice in relation to violent actions taken in the Middle East, but the kind of sacrifice that is both harmless and effective is to sacrifice human will, which would keep us focused on debating the pros and cons of various scenarios for the war. To find the spiritual solution, we need to turn to the one divine will that cannot be trapped within the narrow outlines of political or personal objectives.

Taking this spiritual approach will transcend even the most fiercely partisan perspectives. It’s the prayer-based desire to see the fulfillment of God’s will of good for all. This spiritualization of one’s outlook includes, but takes prayer beyond, the yearning to protect one’s own loved ones and one’s nation.

It reminds us of God’s impartial love for all His creation and enables us to recognize that each individual is precious to Him. It helps to free us from the grip of human will, which always suggests an us and a them. To whatever extent we can maintain this feeling of love toward all, we are practicing a prayer that truly transcends national and international boundaries.

It also brings us into accord with the law of Spirit, described in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Writing about the Bible’s account of Jesus feeding thousands of people with just a few loves and fish, she wrote, “In the scientific relation of God to man, we find that whatever blesses one blesses all, as Jesus showed with the loaves and the fishes,—Spirit, not matter, being the source of supply.”

No doubt those thousands included people with diverse theological and political views—perhaps even different views on how best to divide up those few loaves and fish! Yet all received a full provision of good. And this is the key point: that Spirit’s solution, established in infinite Love, includes everyone. However deep the divide may be between various religious sects or between political parties in various nations, divine Spirit does have an answer that will meet everybody’s need, no matter where they are coming from.

Through my study of Christian Science, I’ve learned how, in the divinely scientific relation to God that each of us has, the good we wish for ourselves or for our loved ones never comes at the expense of the good of others.

For example, there was a time when I felt very resentful toward an immigrant worker, a colleague whose work habits left me with an unfair workload. As I prayed, I realized that I had to overcome the feeling that our two cultures—and work styles—were clashing. I continued to pray to recognize that only one will—the divine—was governing us both. Though her work style didn’t change in the way I had hoped for, my colleague did find her own unique way of carrying her weight. Consequently, all our assignments got done to the satisfaction of the employers, and harmony—and equality of workload—was restored among the employees.

This incident may seem a far cry from the battlefields of Iraq, but it evidences the operation of a divine law, which holds, however severe the circumstances. Whenever there’s a clash of goals or conditions seem counter to God’s will of good for all, we’re being asked to believe that life is made up of a bunch of independent human wills with competing aims.

That is the way certain situations often look and feel. In truth, though, there is just one will—God’s will—and it is a will that blesses and unites. This spiritual perspective tends to subdue the human view of clash and conflict and reveal an inspired way forward.

The inspired way forward may not necessarily be what those involved think they want. In fact, sometimes the answer comes in the form of a solution no one had thought of before. But the one thing we can be sure of is that it will be an intelligent solution, revealed by a divine wisdom that alone is able to meet the needs of all concurrently.

There is no magic wand to wave and thus make everyone conform to the divine will and feel good about it. But every genuine effort to subdue personal opinions about outcomes and to embrace all in the unity of divine Love will help direct everyone’s thoughts to more inspired answers and actions.

Our acceptance of God’s will over our personal desires and views doesn’t always come easily even in seemingly small things, let alone in a multinational conflict. But praying with sincerity and conviction for the divine will to prevail will support a God-inspired outcome emerging into view for troops of all nations and for all the others who are seeking peace in the Middle East.

God’s will:

Science and Health
206:15

King James Bible
Matt. 14:15-21

Read "Homefront salute for soldiers in Iraq," The Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2007.