Spirituality and politics are inevitably intertwined .The way we vote, the sides we take on issues, and the vision we have for our futures are deeply influenced by our spiritual beliefs. Although the processes of politics and spirituality seem vastly different on the surface, at their core they both emanate from a set of beliefs.
There can be no peace in the world until there is peace in human hearts. Inner peace can only come from introspection or meditation. From stilling our wandering minds and restless hearts.
When we think of the great spiritual leaders of the past, like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (the 5th Dalai Lama), we observe a recurring theme. Each of them transmitted a spiritual lesson, which they enacted through their political activism. These people were not silently spiritual. They were dedicated to making a moral difference in their world. For they recognized that outer change had to start with inner change. With a change in values and the way we perceive our world.
Spirituality focuses on the unity underlying things. There is an aspiration to enhance and project the good in people in order to establish a fairer more just society.
Only by spiritualistic politics can we infuse our political systems with compassion. Can we move away from the Machiavellian model of lusting for power and control over people. Instead spirituality invites us to change ourselves.
Jesus taught us to love one another. To give to the poor. To share. To forgive and not judge one another. Civil liberty, freedom, tolerance and respect are fundamental precepts required for moral and social progress.
Spiritually rejects unfettered consumerism. Rejects the notion that truth is a matter of personal interpretation. Rather there is an inalienable truth which embodies God given values upon which we must build our modern societies.
Today we are moving too fast, our minds are too busy our existence automated. Yet in the maze of contemporary life we need to remember God. To yearn for our Creator. Spiritual wisdom paves the way for a society based on kindness rather than purely economics.
