Can we stop fighting about politics?
Trapped in a heated political argument was not the way I had expected to spend the afternoon at a friend’s house. How did a friendly conversation escalate so quickly? Before I knew what was happening, we were practically shouting at each other, each convinced that the other person’s view was totally wrong.
I didn’t like what had happened that day. It felt like we were being altered by political discussions and responding in ways that were reactive instead of constructive. What could I do? I realized I needed to pray—and not for others to see things my way!
For me, prayer often starts with silencing my own self-focused thoughts, like “I am right!” and “I need to find the best argument.” As justified as they might seem, these self-focused thoughts actually bring turbulence. Silencing them allows me to be more open to hearing God. Then my prayer becomes one of listening to God and humbly receiving God’s inspiring ideas about how to think differently about a situation that’s bothering me. Through studying Christian Science, I’ve learned that peaceful, loving thoughts are what I can expect from God, since God is Love itself. And these peaceful, loving thoughts counteract and replace any suggestions of friction, anger, or inharmony.
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