Again and again in modern times, in one country or another, there has surfaced a serious lack of popular confidence in leaders' ability to solve the complex national and international problems confronting them. Some of the reasons given for such leadership crises are lack of vision, insufficient moral stature, absence of a compelling style, inability to inspire, and the end of an era of great personalities.

But vision, inspiration, comprehension, and moral strength are never really absent. They do not originate in mortal personality. They originate in God, divine Principle, and are continuously expressed through His idea, man.

Could not the present crisis be forcing us to look away from corporeal personality to divine Principle and the real man for the expression of leadership that is at all times trustworthy, inspiring, and competent? Mary Baker Eddy, who, as the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science and its Leader, has done so much to forward humanity's progress, constantly directed her followers to turn away from following or leaning upon her material personality. In a message to the members of her Church in 1902 she said, "I again repeat, Follow your Leader, only so far as she follows Christ." ^{Message to The Mother Church for 1902, p. 4;}

Mrs. Eddy used the synonym "Principle" to convey the unerring, impartial nature of God so characteristic of the Divine Being to whom the children of Israel turned for vision, guidance, and strength to lead them from tyranny to freedom. And it has been Principle's expression of its divine intelligence in receptive human consciousness that through the ages has led mankind into an ever-increasing measure of dominion over the manifold limiting facets of human experience.

The government of divine Principle was clearly exemplified for us in the life of Christ Jesus. Through the Christ—the spiritual idea of sonship, of man's oneness with God—Jesus revealed man's reflecting of the unlimited spiritual capacities of divine Mind. Jesus solved the economic, health, and welfare problems of his day through his utilization of the divine perspicacity. Through our demonstration of the Christ, we too can gain mastery over the local and worldwide economic and social problems that confront us.

We each have a part to play in solving any crisis in leadership. As a recent magazine article on leadership states, "Societies may not always get the leadership they deserve and need, but they get a leadership that reflects the nature of the nation's power and the condition of its followers." ^{Time, August 6, 1979, p. 25 .} Through participating in the elective process and through Christ-illumined and unselfed followership, we can make a positive and continuing contribution to the quality of leadership we experience. We should be as vigorous and consistent in following the dictates of divine Principle, Love, in our lives as we expect our leaders to be in theirs.

The centrifugal forces of materialism—evidenced in "me-first-ism," aversion to being spiritually led, reluctance to participate in public affairs, and the paralyzing effect upon government of fractionalizing, narrow interests—need to be dealt with as the work of the anti-Christ, the belief in a multitude of minds. This belief must be robbed of its mesmeric claim to intelligence, power, and reality through the prayerful realization that divine Love is the only motive power, the only Mind and intelligence, that can truly govern men and nations.

The clear need today—the world over—is for spiritual leadership and spiritual followership. The solution to mankind's problems will not be found through haggling over human theories based on finite, material premises. But solutions will be found, wise decisions will be made, progressive steps taken, and inspired accomplishments achieved as lives are lived in obedience to the Christ—lived in obedience to the infinite, divine Principle, which in wisdom and mercy impartially rules and blesses all.