The blending of politics and spirituality resembles that of water and oil. The state we attain with prayer and meditation seems the opposite of the conflict-ridden zone of discussing policy and the problems of society. Yet also like water and oil, both are necessary for life.
This past week’s matter at hand: My state’s reappearance in the national spotlight for its struggles, this time about the volume of fraud that has been taking place here in Minnesota.
The question in my mind as I read headline after headline on social media: How does one balance these two necessary-for-life aspects? How does one address the cold reality of politics & societal challenges without it acting against the spiritual ideals we have for ourselves?
The realm of the spirit encourages one to let their guard down. Soften your heart, relax your face and body. Let down the walls, the rigidity, the resistance; basically, let go of fear. And when we do, what are we left with? Openness, connectedness, oneness. Love. It’s elevating.
This spiritual mode can feel like just a break from real life, though.
In the day-to-day business of organizing how we’re all to live together in our society—and conduct business with outside societies—the objects are protection, negotiation, justice, rules. Assertion, division, separation. This defensiveness taken to its extreme, is succinctly put, “If you want peace, prepare for war.”
This paradox of building a well-functioning society also draws comparison to a sport. If there are no agreed-upon rules or boundaries, then there, effectively, can be no sporting competition. It takes boundaries on the field to determine where and how to play. Limits and rules allow the game to occur—and, thus, humanity to reach new heights of excellence through athletics and teamwork.
In sports, when rules are unfairly enforced, it damages the integrity and meaning of the game. In society, when rules are flaunted, or there are two sets of rules for different groups, there risks a breakdown of the order of the “game” of life. We’re seeing more of this these days across the country. We’re seeing a inordinate amount of it here in Minnesota.
On the other hand, the defensiveness-leading-to-peace game played well in society enables economic development and teamwork that allow the enhancement of the spiritual—such as funding spiritual musical compositions or building houses of worship. This relationship of the political and the spiritual makes up, perhaps, yet another dyad seen in nature, two sides of the same coin of life in this universe like masculine/feminine, liberal/conservative, and yin/yang.
This past week had me consider this dyad when seeing how those most upset by the fraud in our state (Minnesota-native and national voices) are conservatives. Some say this is because they are attacking the liberals in power. Others have pointed out the racial aspect motivating the attacks. But mostly, I think it’s that conservatives simply tend to place higher value on law & order in addition to fiscal responsibility.
Then, I was struck by the reality that conservatives also tend to be more religious and practice a religion (Christianity) that teaches the spiritual ideals mentioned above. So, we have this pronounced example of this politics/spirituality clash, where those whose ideals include peace, forgiveness, lovingness, and openness and who, at the same time, also advocate for the need to have & enforce rules, punish those who cross them, and overall, draw a line and say, “The buck stops here.”
This clash or balance is part of the challenge of being human, isn’t it? We’re spiritual beings yearning for connection and oneness. Yet without reacting to threats to ourselves and our society, harmony and order break down, eventually leading to yet more walls, division, and fear…
Another dynamic in how we attempt this balance is in how attentive we are to the problems of the world in general. Are we pouring over all these stories because we desire to stay informed, or are we feeding our anger, judgement, and a hunger for drama? Are we avoiding such news stories because we’re prioritizing the things in our lives closer to us, or are we burying our heads in the sand?
In all the responses to all the social media posts I saw, the blame game is most prominent. Seeing this and connecting back to my own story addressing the risks Minnesota faces today, I created a short video referring to this article in the Star Tribune from about a year ago. I believe that if you are going to address the problems of the world, it’s best to try to do so with an objective, broadened perspective.
One might say from The Periphery:)
So, in my article, I did look at what to blame, but it wasn’t one ethnic group. Nor was it one political party. And from this broader culprit, I then tried to identify the best solution.
Here’s that video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18ua5jRL8E/
My assessment of this situation aside, the bigger, philosophical question remains: How do we best use caution and walls to order our society—when then enables us to exercise our spirituality, our practice of resting our cautiousness, lowering our walls, and finding our true home in unity.