Balanced Government Under God

A couple months ago, as I looked at the election results for the United States Congress, I found myself staring at the line across my computer screen dividing an almost equal amount of blue and red. The dividing line seemed to shout, “We are a divided nation with no hope!”

But as I studied the line, what I noticed reminded me of something on the playground where I played as a child – the seesaw! When I would sit on one end of it and a friend would take the other end, there was often a need to adjust our positions. One of us would move farther back while the other moved closer to the middle until we found a balance.

That is such an important quality. We need balance in our lives, in our relationships, our economy, and our government. And while finding balance in the government might sound difficult, I’ve found that it helps to identify balance and equality as St. Paul described it: “Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal” (II Corinthians 8:13, 14, New Living Translation)

I’ve also thought about what’s most important in any election is getting a deeper understanding of the identity of its nation. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of The Christian Science Monitor, wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures , “Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love” (p. 477). Spirit, Principle, and Love are names for God. Knowing what God is and recognizing that we are His reflection, we can better understand how to govern ourselves and find a balance that respects and blesses all. We find the government of man through understanding that we all truly coexist in the kingdom of heaven, where the government of God produces and sustains harmony.