SPIRITUAL POLITICS:
Can We Bring Politics and Spirituality Together

© 2000 Corinne McLaughlin

Spirituality? Politics? How dare we mention these in the same breath? You can be either a spiritual seeker—or a political activist—but never both. When you’re caught in dualistic, “either/or” thinking, politics and spirituality seem worlds apart-- two different dimensions that should never be mixed.

But in actual practice, spirituality can ennoble politics and politics can ground spirituality. Spirituality can help you leave ego and power trips at the door and truly serve the good of others. Politics can give you a practical arena for applying spiritual principles such as compassion. (And you get instant feedback from the media if you don’t “walk the talk”— if your words are more pious than your deeds.) .

Gandhi had no trouble bringing his spirituality and politics together, as he said, “I could not lead a religious life unless I identified with the whole of mankind, and that I could not do unless I took part in politics.”

But what about separation of church and state in the U.S.? Our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) didn’t intend that we should never discuss spiritual ideas in the public arena, but rather that the State not impose religious beliefs on citizens or interfere in the practice of religion. “Church” refers to organized religion, with specific dogmas and practices. But spirituality relates to our inner, value- centered life in relation to the Transcendent. It is concerned with qualities of the human spirit such as love and courage. Religion can help us be spiritual, but spirituality isn’t dependent upon religion.

A recent poll found that 84% of Americans agree that “our government would be better if policies were more directed by moral values.” Many of us today are yearning for a spiritually based politics directed by moral values—a politics that doesn’t appeal only to our self-interest and pit one group against another. We seek a type of political discourse that speaks to our deepest values as human beings, that gives us a greater sense of community and a transcendent purpose as a nation, that offers us a higher vision of public life and service to the common good--rather than appealing only to greed and lust for power.

If we make it safe to discuss our spiritual values in public life, then we can hold our politicians accountable for the spiritual values they espouse. The public has made it very clear they don’t want negative campaigning, and today’s presidential candidates try to convince voters that their campaign is the most positive. Many voters say that the refreshing call to honesty, service and sacrifice from one of the candidates this year is what drew their support

How can we recognize a spiritually based politics? Here are some key qualities:

In research for my book, Spiritual Politics, I found that a new spiritually-based politics is beginning to emerge in many places around the country today that embodies principles and values common to the world’s spiritual traditions.

This new politics is based on four key approaches:

1. Using a “higher common ground” process for resolving conflicts and making policy.

Most spiritual traditions respect the grain of truth on each side of a conflict and promote healing, reconciliation and forgiveness. The training of initiates in ancient mystery schools included training in paradoxical thinking--holding two opposite ideas at the same time. The Taoists teach about yin and yang--the polar opposites—that are held in a dynamic balance. The Buddhists teach about the Noble Middle Path between the pairs of opposites. In the Jewish Kabbalah, The Tree of Life, the middle pillar shows the path of balance between the opposites.

As Einstein said, we can’t solve a problem on the same level of consciousness that created the problem. We have to find higher common ground. Many of the new political approaches transcend the usual Right/Left adversarial approach to find higher ground on polarized issues.

Multi-stakeholder dialogues, which involve all parties in a collaborative dialogue, are proving to be the most effective way to develop viable policies and reduce conflict on divisive issues such as race, abortion, and the environment. For example, The Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy in Washington, D.C. helps resolve ethnic conflicts worldwide through involving all stakeholders in dialogues--government, business and non-profit groups—and listening deeply to all perspectives. The Washington D.C. based Search for Common Ground helps opponents on both sides of the abortion debate find common ground by working together to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to make adoptions more easily available.

The MRA (Moral Re-Armament) is a spiritually based organization that has helped resolve conflict in many countries around the world, and its “Hope in the Cities” initiatives have helped promote racial reconciliation in Richmond, VA, Hartford, CT, and Portland, OR.

2. Promoting “best practices”—spiritually based solutions to social problems.

Many of these new solutions have been pioneered by “civil society” groups (non-profit organizations) which represent a powerful third force beyond government and business that embodies the spirit of service found in all religions. Their spiritually based solutions are effective because they address the whole person--body, mind and spirit--and change lives, rather than just provide food or shelter. Recognizing their effectiveness, the national welfare reform act of 1996 contains a “charitable choice” clause that enables religious organizations to compete for government contracts to provide social services.

Sojourners in Washington, D.C. has helped juvenile gang members give up violence and drugs and find a new life. The National Ten Point Coalition in Dorchester, MA, sets up youth violence intervention task forces consisting of youth, churches, community organizations and police. Bethel New Life in Chicago partners with business to create jobs, provide housing and improve the quality of life in poor neighborhoods. The Human Service Alliance in Winston-Salem, NC provides a nursing home and free medical care to hundreds of seniors, using a totally volunteer staff.

3. Using prayer and meditation to invoke spiritual help for our leaders, for public policies, and for crisis situations.

A spiritually based politics recognizes that we humans do not have to struggle with our problems alone, as help is always available from higher dimensions when it is asked for. There are many examples of intervention by higher spiritual forces throughout history, such as the help received by the Allies during the Battle of Britain in World War II and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s vision of Mohammed inspiring him to create peace in the Middle East.

Many groups, such as Pathways to Peace in Larkspur, CA and ReCreation Foundation in Ashland, OR organize prayer vigils to ask for spiritual help in crisis situations. A major prayer vigil around the world in 1995 helped support the peace process in Bosnia at a crucial juncture. Another vigil in 1997 mobilized prayers to prevent war with Iraq over a U.N. weapons inspection. Pathways to Peace organizes a prayer for the United Nations every September on its opening day.

At The Center for Visionary Leadership, which I co-founded several years ago in Washington, D.C., we created a prayer to help heal the divisions that divide us as a nation (see below). Our staff says this together at noon on a regular basis, and many others around the country also use it. We also encourage people to “Adopt a Leader”--find a national leader that needs help spiritually, but has a lot of potential, and follow his or her career, praying or meditating for him, and asking that he align with higher spiritual principles so he may serve the good of all.

The Faith and Politics Institute in Washington D.C. provides reflection groups to support Congressmen and their staff in being true to their deepest values when confronting difficult issues such as campaign fundraising.

Global Renaissance Alliance in Detroit, MI encourages citizens around the country to meet in small groups to help heal America by praying and studying together, as well as promoting appropriate legislation in Congress.

The Foundation for Ethics and Meaning based in Tampa, FL supports grassroots groups around the country in undertaking projects to transcend our profit-obsessed culture, such as the General Ethical Measurement Standards to measure a business’ care of people, the environment and the community.

4. Working to change consciousness.

Our negative patterns of thinking are the deeper cause of problems in our world. As medical researchers are discovering how our thoughts affect our health, we need to explore how our collective thoughts are affecting our collective social health. The Ageless Wisdom of East and West reveals how to change the world by changing consciousness. In the West, the Bible says, “As a man [or woman] thinketh in his heart, so he is.” Likewise, the Buddhists say, “With our thoughts we make the world.” Form follows thought--mind is the builder. The interplay of human and Divine thought creates all reality.

For example, The Foundation for Global Community, (formerly Beyond War) based in Palo Alto, CA, successfully enlisted hundreds of teams around the country to help Americans reframe their thinking about nuclear war. They learned to see it as obsolete, because no one could actually win a nuclear war. So a new, non-violent strategy for security was promoted.

Other groups, such The Center for Visionary Leadership, are helping people study the deeper spiritual causes of current events and crises. Events can be a rich source of collective learning if we’re willing to explore the lessons being offered through shared national experiences. We can interpret events as the symbolic out-picturing of the inner forces at work and explore their hidden causes in consciousness. The Native Americans called this “Reading the Book of Life.”

For example, the O.J. Simpson trial was a type of nationally televised psychotherapy on the issues of domestic violence, racism, and our dysfunctional legal system. Collective disasters provide major opportunities to learn compassion for victims, as well as to learn the consequences of our actions. “As you sow, so shall you reap,” as the Bible says--or “karma” as the Hindus say. When the Mississippi River flooded major portions of the U.S. several years ago, for example, sewage dumped in its tributaries backed up and returned to the towns that had dumped it. A spiritual approach to politics does not look for others to blame, but rather takes responsibility for our own thoughts and actions.

Many spiritual people are recognizing how much our prayers, meditations and inner work are needed to help transform the world. The power of Spirit within us is a source of great strength and wisdom. Within each of us is a special gift that we can uniquely contribute to making a better world. We can be more effective change agents if we reunite politics and spirituality.