We're so happy you're back for another day, full of inspiration with the Christian Science Daily Lift.

With us today is Christian Science practitioner, Inga Schmidt.

Inga is from Elsa, Illinois.

As tensions seem to be escalating in the U.S. and around the world, asking, what are your politics, may no longer launch a healthy debate.

In one of her writings, Mary Baker Eddy had a radically different response.

I am asked, what are your politics? I have none in reality,

other than to help support a righteous government, to love God supremely, and my neighbor as myself.

As someone who has always had an interest in government, I've thought about her words often.

To me, having no politics means refusing to see my fellow citizens, regardless of their politics,

as opposed to God-given qualities and ideals.

Is it really reasonable to love our neighbors? All of them all the time?

An experience I had brought the answer.

I board my retired horse at a farm near my home.

Town officials voted to abandon maintenance of the road where the barn was located.

It would become impassable for the public and for emergency services, and a sense of panic grew among the neighbors.

Heated opposition was organized for the next evening's town meeting.

As the day went on, I found myself increasingly indignant about the situation.

And the next morning, as I began to pray, those thoughts came flooding back.

Wait a minute, I thought, I know something about God's goodness and about our integrity as God's

spiritual image and likeness. What am I doing? I realized I should attend the meeting not as a combatant on one of two sides,

but as a witness to God's universal government.

During the meeting, I affirmed that we were all united in our love for community

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