Prayer for righteous government
With news swirling about the ongoing US government shutdown and political turmoil in Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, here’s an article on the role each of us can play in supporting just, wise, and compassionate government.
In response to the question, “What are your politics?,” Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of this newspaper, answered: “I have none, in reality, other than to help support a righteous government; to love God supremely, and my neighbor as myself” (“The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany,” p. 276).
In my own prayers to support righteous government, I have found great inspiration and empowerment from a passage in the Bible, from the book of Revelation: “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (19:6).
To reign is to govern. I love the first word, Alleluia. It grounds that statement in gratitude, joy, and expectation, by acknowledging the impact of an all-powerful, divine government. It has the power to cut through any governing that does not appear to be just, wise, or compassionate, with the assurance that the all-knowing God, divine Mind, supersedes the human picture. God’s harmonious universe – the only true universe – includes all of us, God’s spiritual creation.
Using Truth as a synonym for God, Mrs. Eddy writes in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures”: “The ‘still, small voice’ of scientific thought reaches over continent and ocean to the globe’s remotest bound. The inaudible voice of Truth is, to the human mind, ‘as when a lion roareth.’ It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear” (p. 559). Prayer based upon the conviction and understanding of God’s power at work is so much more than wishing, outlining, or willpower. It is an affirmation of our divine right to bear witness to the supremacy of God, good.
Despite any picture that appears discouraging or fearful, we can eagerly make space in our day to pray for righteous government. By joining this army of prayer warriors, we are a great force for good in a world in great need.
Previously published in the Christian Science Perspective column, Aug. 24, 2017. A version of this article also aired on the Aug. 10, 2017, Christian Science Daily Lift podcast.