An end to prejudice means an end to poverty

“There are over one million children in Canada who live below the poverty level, and the poverty rate for First Nations’ children is at least double the national average,” reported National Chief Phil Fontaine at a recent Assembly of First Nations. In Vancouver, where I live, it is estimated that, in the Aboriginal community, eight out of 10 children aged 0-6 live in poverty (The First Peoples Child and Family Review, Vol 2).

While there are many historic and current reasons for these conditions, prejudice and discrimination are major influences.

Aboriginals here in Canada, as well as in Australia, and Native Americans in the United States—to mention just three groups—have all experienced this treatment in some way. A seemingly universal tendency to devalue certain peoples, to believe that particular groups are inferior or less worthy, is so common in societies around the world that it’s almost invisible.

But if we are to overcome conditions that lead to poverty, we need to bring our best thinking to bear on them—to bring these issues to the fore not to dwell on them, but to find inspired solutions.

For me, that best thinking is prayer, and when I pray, I ask myself, “What is spiritually true? And what is not true?” In other words, “What does God know about this and how does it relate to our lives?” And what would happen if we really believed what God knows—and acted accordingly?

First, let’s look at what God knows. The first chapter of Genesis in the Bible tells us that God created all there is, including man—both male and female—and made it perfect. As pure Spirit, with no flaw, God could not make an inferior or imperfect man or nation any more than He could make a superior or discriminatory one.

In the spiritual record of creation, there is neither a first- nor second-class citizen or nation. There are only firstborn sons and daughters of God, who receive from God’s abundant store every good and needful thing. And He provides a loving law that maintains and preserves all creation in its original state—whole, complete, and perfect.

This may not be what we see in news reports or on our streets—or even what we feel in our hearts sometimes. But we can’t let these conditions discourage us and lead us to expect evil instead of good.

The spiritual fact is that people of all nations are God’s children, and are always one with their divine Father and source. Each of us, no matter what our background, is created by Him to testify and be a witness to His abundant and universal love.

As the book of Isaiah says of God’s love for us, “This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.” I love the idea that all of us exist to show forth God’s praise!

But what happens when the many and varied misconceptions or false views of individual races or peoples come into our thoughts and lives? These mental images certainly don’t represent what God knows, and so we can turn thought away from them and hold to God’s view of creation.

By steadfastly affirming the reality and perfection of His spiritual creation, we are knowing that God’s original plan still stands, and that each of us can experience the common and specific good He is always giving to us.

My prayer is only as effective as it is unconditionally loving, as I am willing to confront and heal stereotyping in my own and community thought.

This isn’t always easy. A prejudiced relative or neighbor, a biased news organization, even a discriminatory local government may seem to stand in the way of Love’s purpose. Through diligent prayer, each of us can put the whole problem and all its ramifications into God’s realm, into the lap of the Most High. Our job is to see ourselves and all people as the idea of God, male and female, loved and loving, protected and protecting.

All people can be seen as universally provided for and safe from any belief in or effects of a historic national or systemic problem. This powerful prayer can help to heal the stereotyping that sees and treats others as either victims or abusers, or that would debase their value in some way.

I pray daily to understand this spiritual truth more fully and faithfully. Our loving Father-Mother God is not static, but actively and responsibly caring for Her children.

Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals.” This tells me that divine Love adapts to meet the human need, whatever and wherever that need is.

I don’t have to know exactly how and where these needs are being met; I just need to know that Love can meet our needs, even in the deepest wilderness—and that it is meeting those needs, no matter how dire the circumstances may seem, no matter how deep-rooted or overwhelmingly real the problem appears.

This Father-Mother Love is just as able to provide for and maintain the welfare, prosperity, and health of a nation as of an individual. I need to stick with this truth, or reality of being, until I really do know the truth of it and am no longer accepting or believing in impoverished classes of people who are being discriminated against or being treated with prejudice.

While there are no instant answers to this problem of poverty and discrimination, these are some of the ideas that enable me daily to more actively love my neighbor and contribute to solutions. A hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal offers a prayer for the whole world. The first part of this prayer is:

This prayer is full of promise—a promise that Love’s power is a stronghold where everyone truly dwells. We have the promise that divine Love is present to love, feed, and bless all—regardless of race or nationality. The natural expression of this is God’s children loving one another without partiality or prejudice.

And we have the promise that each of us can trust and live the spiritual truths that Jesus promised would make us free!

Explore more healing ideas in the special feature Spiritual solutions to end poverty: what Christian Science has to offer.

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