You have a part in Middle East peace

"If I hear one more word about the Middle East, I'm going to scream," a friend of mine said a few months ago. I was surprised by her comment, but I could understand how she felt. Efforts for peace in the Middle East and Northern Ireland, among other places, do seem to take forever. And it's easy to wonder why "they" - the negotiators - aren't doing a better job.

I felt that way, too, until I got a small taste of the problems for myself.

I have no personal connection with the Middle East, but when the magazine I work for decided to cover aspects of the conflict there, I was assigned to negotiate the content of the articles with the participants.

At first, everything went smoothly. But as we moved closer to our deadline, one party to the negotiations became more and more demanding. Every detail came under scrutiny, and we felt pressure to support a point of view that could violate our neutral stance. I alternated between feeling desperate and frantic.

One morning, after a virtually sleepless night, with three days to go before deadline, I turned to God. My prayer was not unlike the Psalmist's when he said, "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Ps. 61:1, 2). I begged, even pleaded, for an answer that would help us break through this deadlock.

The answer I received certainly wasn't what I'd expected. It was: "This is now your opportunity to be part of the Middle East peace process."

My first reaction was, "Yeah, right." But thinking more deeply about it, I realized that if I could bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion, we would have presented an example, even though a tiny one, of how people with strongly held views could work together. Yes, my part of it was infinitesimal compared to the huge questions peace negotiators have to deal with - land, national boundaries, history, religion. But it was a contribution I could make, and while I was doing it, I could pray in a broader way about the whole Middle East struggle.

On the way to work, I prayed for compassion, understanding, and wisdom. I needed to see my counterpart's needs and concerns while also standing firm for the integrity of our magazine. With the deadline so close, I couldn't afford to lose this man's cooperation, but I couldn't be a pushover, either. Through my study of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, this newspaper's founder, I have come to know God as the divine Mind - the one intelligence that truly governs the universe, the world, and the details of our lives. I knew that this Mind would give me the guidance I needed, if I was willing to listen for it. I also - more humbly than ever before - affirmed that the same Mind was guiding anyone involved in peace negotiations.

I can't say the road became totally smooth, but it was a lot easier. We found ways to "give a little" at our end, and our counterpart gave more signs of flexibility, too. I felt genuine affection for this good man, who wanted to cooperate as much as he could. Finally, our deadline arrived. I sent him a fax of the final document and indicated that there could be no more changes. Then, I sat by the phone, praying and sweating. I really did trust God, but I wasn't sure how this man would respond.

Half an hour later, the telephone rang. It was my counterpart; he had received approval for us to go ahead. I mopped my brow while we both rejoiced.

Since then, when I read about negotiations anywhere, I am a lot more humble and much less quick to judge. I have an idea of what goes into resolving those fine points and deeply held views. I'm also praying more, because I no longer think it is "their" job; I feel I'm part of this work for peace, even if my contribution is tiny.

And you know something else? Even with my greater appreciation of the difficulties, I'm also a lot more hopeful. Small as my victory was, I am trusting that the same God who helped me is helping the peace negotiators. And this same God will help you, too.