A couple of weeks ago, I had the distinct privilege of addressing an audience of Senators, Representatives and Capitol Hill staffers in a beautiful room at the Library of Congress. This event was made possible by two Congressmen, Rep Tom Suozzi of New York, a Democrat, and Rep John Moolenaar of Michigan, a Republican. Both had seen videos of the speeches I had given at Facebook and Google headquarters and wanted something similar for those who work in government.
At the outset of my talk, I specified that I would not be addressing the hot button issues that so often dominate discussions of religion and politics. I was quick to point out that this is not because I think those questions are unimportant or that they shouldn’t eventually be addressed. But I insisted that the rush to those matters around which there is radical polarisation effectively precludes the possibility of finding deep points of contact between the spiritual and political worlds. And it was that common ground that I endeavoured to explore in my presentation.
