Greece: Let Love lead the way

A Christian Science perspective.

When the reports of the Greek debt crisis emerged some months ago, it seemed at first like a home-grown problem that could be resolved with limited impact on other countries. But now the situation has pushed far beyond Greek borders. In the last day or two, several newspapers, including the Monitor, have warned of potential “contagion” from the Greek economy spreading to other weaker members of the European Community that use the euro.

It’s clear that serious financial measures will be needed in order to stabilize the situation and prevent future economic damage. Those measures need to be thought out carefully, and our prayers can support an intelligent, loving, productive outcome.

One of the challenges to working together on a solution is that while the eurozone countries are united by the euro, they are all separate political entities, each with its own constituents and views about the situation. Prayer for unity of spirit among these nations is essential.

Centuries ago when St. Paul preached in Athens, he made a point about unity that still is true to the efforts to find a common, viable solution today. He observed: “God that made the world and all things therein ... hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth ... that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:24, 26–28).

Each of us lives and moves within divine Spirit, as the idea of God. This spiritual fact brings together all people, even the very diverse members of the eurozone. Prayer that recognizes this connection can help erase the differences among nations and reveal our oneness under God’s care. Such prayer can also instill the moral courage to go forward together, even if the needed solutions seem difficult to implement.

For a Greek translation of this article, see The Herald of Christian Science.

These efforts can become easier when our prayers declare that divine Love, rather than fear, resentment, or anger, is at the helm of thought. Divine Love’s impartiality, intelligence, and sufficiency can open up pathways to solutions that might not have come to light just yet. Love also reveals that healing answers – those that unite all parties – have their source in a spiritual view rather than in the belief that everyone is locked in a static condition of limited resources and limited will to make changes.

As our prayers claim divine Love’s presence with all who are working on this problem, we can expect to see fewer reports of condemnation, frustration, hesitation, and contagion. Under divine Love’s influence, people can set aside differences and actually find joy in working out solutions. No one needs to be hurt politically or professionally by his or her efforts to solve this problem. The intelligence and wisdom brought to bear on Greece will naturally shine onto other countries and reveal ways to forestall threats to their economies.

In her book “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” Mary Baker Eddy identified God, or Soul, as the source of lasting solutions. “Soul,” she wrote, “has infinite resources with which to bless mankind, and happiness would be more readily attained and would be more secure in our keeping, if sought in Soul” (p. 60).

These resources of Soul are so abundant that solutions can be found for every nation’s situation, and none need to be left out. Willingness to look afresh at what has been done so far can also come about as prayer affirms the spiritual qualities underlying national prosperity – stability, peace, strength, safety, life, joy, wisdom, love, to mention a few. Each nation has its own special characteristics that are supported in citizens’ love for their country and desire for it to succeed and to do good. This love is powerful, and it, too, can forward each nation’s efforts on its own behalf and for the collective good.

Soul’s spiritual resources go far beyond what the bond markets may be saying. They are assets that never run out. In an ultimate spiritual sense, they are the fountains from which solutions will flow because they are sourced in God, good, and can bring only blessings to all who are touched by them. Our prayers can help unlock those resources in ways that will flow to Greece and to all the other partners in the effort, mitigating loss to anyone – politically, financially, or in any other way.

For a Greek translation of this article, see The Herald of Christian Science.

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