For me – the election is over

Well, in one sense it is. Not because I've already voted by absentee ballot. Not because I've watched some debates and decided. There has been a kind of conclusion developing in my feeling about the election for a very different reason.

This may be difficult to understand for some who hold rigid political views, but I've reached the point of having a great sense of peace regardless of which candidate wins. Not that I don't have a favorite. And not that I think it really doesn't matter. Of course it matters. I'll be watching events unfold and casting my ballot with enthusiasm, anticipation, and most of all gratitude that I live in a system giving me this wonderful privilege to vote. And I do feel the candidates for the top office are decent and capable and honorable individuals. But in recent days, something much deeper has taken root in my thought.

I've been realizing more and more that while people do their best, that's not good enough. There must be a deeper good. Real government has got to come from God. I have a growing conviction that God, more than people, governs me. And God, more than people, governs people! Obviously we all have a distance to go for this ideal to be fully practical. But once we experience an intelligent conviction that there is ultimate Truth underlying this real and permanent government, we'll be more at peace about the changing human scene.

I value this development in my thought because it will help me be supportive of whichever party prevails. And it will help me work and pray in ways that will benefit the most people. Let me explain a little more about why I feel real value in reaching a deep satisfaction with either party in office.

If society's primary motivation is a willingness to be satisfied only if we see certain people in power, then close to half the voters are going to find it harder to give whole-hearted support for those elected. That's not the best mental environment for societal progress. But even a modest number of voters understanding that God is governing releases a power that will have a far more constructive impact for those elected than entrenched attitudes of disappointment or defeat.

How is God's government manifested? Christian Science uses several terms to identify the presence of God and His action in human affairs. These words, explored in depth in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, the textbook of Christian Science, are Mind, Love, Principle, Soul, Life, Spirit, Truth. And so real government can be recognized as those terms find expression in practical ways. Here are some clues to look for:

Mind: The intelligence and wisdom from a divine source more often find their way into human decisionmaking.

Love: The compassion and caring impelled by a spiritual presence is less intimidated by the world's evils.

Principle: A stronger integrity begins emerging in various human actions.

Soul: Hints of harmony increase and conflicts recede in how people interact with each other.

Life: Spiritually enlivening and invigorating forces find fuller expression in religious, economic, political, and foreign affairs.

Spirit: A purer substance of individual character is more widely valued.

Truth: A deepening of society's appreciation for honesty is increasingly evident.

Prayerfully valuing any evidence of God's presence can have more significance in defining how we are truly being governed than the actions of people who hold elective positions. The very act of catching a glimpse of the divine government nurtures its emergence in human events and decisions. Our political process (even with all its shortcomings) is valuable. But even more meaningful is the difference it makes when we see that God is in the driver's seat and how this defines the attitudes of those we elect to be in the seat of government.

You'll enjoy voting more as you recognize what God has already established about who truly governs.