During this political season it can be hard to keep my thoughts pure, holy and in line with God when thinking about political parties. It’s so easy to jump into partisanship, thinking one side is better than the other, or that the solutions to our problems depend on one party and candidate.

But doesn’t all of this break the First Commandment – “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me” (Exodus 20:3)?

When I think about political parties and the running candidates from God’s perspective, I naturally love and cherish the humanity and goodness in each individual and the ideas they express. I know that none of these individuals are “evil” because we are all children of God. When I look at things from this spiritual perspective, I know and trust that the good in my life comes from God and not from a human being or a political system. After all, God, infinite Mind, is the source of all good, useful, and creative ideas.

So in this election season, even though it can be challenging, I am praying to know that God’s ideas will be expressed in a way that blesses the whole world. I don’t personally know what the best answer will be; no human candidate is perfect, but God is. Praying in this way helps me bring the government of God back into my life and consciousness; enables me to feel more loving towards my fellow-man; and I feel better able to trust my well-being to God.

Interested in praying for mankind during this election season? Here are some great resources.

Tonight – LIVE – event “Honest politics: no matter what side of the fence you’re on” 6pm ET

Article – “Government: What does God have to do with it?“

This is a such a beautiful analogy. And a wonderful prayer for our political climate.

Sunflowers’ promise of hope and unity

by Janet Hegarty

When you travel through western Kansas in August, near the town of Goodland, you’ll see huge fields of sunflowers in full bloom. The sudden burst of bright yellow against the green landscape is stunning, but the behavior of the sunflowers is even more impressive. All of the flowers face toward the sun and move together in unity as they follow the sun throughout the day.

Against the backdrop of the current contentious political landscape, the thought of these sunflowers moving together in unity is refreshing. It stimulates hope that there might be a way to move beyond antagonistic, divisive political differences. Granted, the life of a flower is simple compared with the complexities of human existence, but I believe there’s much to learn about how we might establish harmony by considering the sunflower’s activity.

The flowers move in harmony because they are all seeking and finding the good they need from the same source. This is what unifies their actions. Their need for the sun is intrinsic. They naturally follow the sun, and their needs are supplied in the process.

Much political discord today comes from disparate points of view as to how the social and economic life in the United States should be managed. These conflicting ideas have polarized the country. This polarization has been so extreme at times that it has severely slowed the normal effective action of the government. Thinking of the sunflowers has made me wonder if there isn’t a higher source of good we could focus on that might unite us all in progressive activity.

Tag: bipartisanship

Stepping out of partisanship

Repost: Lessons from sunflowers

Sunflowers’ promise of hope and unity