“It is interesting to note,” 20th-century British writer Penelope Fitzgerald once said, “that everyone has a different take on the world, a different opinion, and given the same inputs have completely different outputs.”
Interesting, indeed – and it can also be frustrating! There’s much to be gained from a diversity of perspectives, but sometimes it can seem hard to look past entrenched positions and seek common ground. At times it may even seem like there’s simply no common ground to be had, no basis for a path forward that leads to progress and solutions.
But what if we dig deeper – going beyond a surface-level view of things to a spiritual perspective on how we relate to one another? From this standpoint, we all have something in common: We are God’s children, the sons and daughters of our shared divine Parent.
Through the study and practice of Christian Science, I’ve found that this is far from an abstract platitude. Our very identity, everything we truly are, all that we’re designed to do, comes down to how God made us. As God’s children, we’re not mortals destined to butt heads or at the mercy of cycles of self-justification. We’re the offspring of the divine Spirit, the reflection of God’s own nature – entirely spiritual, valued, and gracious.
This isn’t just common ground; it’s higher ground. Each and every one of us is designed to know God’s peace and to express His limitless love, intelligence, and goodness. The Christ – God’s message conveying this spiritual reality for all time, which Jesus demonstrated so completely – comes to everyone, everywhere.
It’s not always easy to admit this – especially when someone is advocating for something we disagree with, perhaps strongly. But the more willing we are to take a mental step back and acknowledge in prayer our spiritual common ground as children of God, divine Love, the more empowered we are to contribute to bridging divides instead of exacerbating them. In an address to a large group of members of her church, Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, wrote, “Hold in yourselves the true sense of harmony, and this sense will harmonize, unify, and unself you” (“Message to The Mother Church for 1900,” p. 11).
One time I was leading a small group in a recreational activity when a couple of participants started a conversation about a very controversial topic. It quickly devolved into a heated argument.
This infuriated me! Not only were we supposed to be having fun, but also, I felt strongly that they both had things completely wrong. It was oh-so-tempting to simply kick them out of the activity so they could hash it out without subjecting the rest of us to their chaos and outrageous reasoning, as I saw it.
Yet I recognized that such an approach would only create further division. So rather than giving in to an indignation-fueled impulse, I took a few seconds to silently pray, just opening my heart to God’s healing love. Immediately this thought came: “You all have unassailable common ground in Me.”
How reassuring this was! We’re each the spiritual reflection of God’s boundless harmony – individual, yet forever at peace. The wisdom, unity, and goodness of the one divine Mind are expressed in all of us.
This doesn’t mean we all need to have the same views on things. But it does mean that we’re all innately equipped to work through disagreements with compassion, humility, and grace instead of clinging to resentment and obstinacy, which aren’t part of our true, spiritual nature as God’s children.
The exasperation and self-righteousness I’d been feeling melted away, replaced by a genuinely warm feeling toward both individuals. And then, out of the blue, one of them asked, “What are we even doing? It feels weird to be going at each other like this.” The other agreed, and the rest of the activity session was amicable and enjoyable. At one point, those two individuals even revisited that hot-button topic – calmly and respectfully. And I found myself appreciating what they each had to offer, even when it differed from my own views.
United by our unshakable common ground as God’s children, we all have the ability to let a spiritual view of ourselves and others – rather than egotism, willfulness, or despair – guide our interactions. This helps light the way to greater harmony and progress.
