With JB away on vacation and only one guest post in the proverbial can, I figure it is time to bend the rules a bit and talk about religion and politics.

When I say religion I am not talking specifically but about personal spirituality; the everyday connectedness to something larger than ourselves that we carry with us everywhere. Whether one identifies with a specific religion or not I believe that each of us has a very personal relationship with the divine. I think in many ways, this relationship is at the core of who we are. It gives us the courage to believe in our own powers of perception and through it we make the intangible a part of us. It also colors our dealings with every person we meet and we thrill when we find another with beliefs similar to our own.

Shared spirituality can emerge on any topic. We know it when we feel it, that moment when a topic of conversation crosses into our spiritual realm. In a single moment we recognize another as a member of our tribe. From sharing the secrets of wood working to communing with nature or choosing a new personal computer, spirituality has a way of bringing us together.

Politics is not the opposite of religiosity but, by its nature, it forces us to challenge our beliefs. Politics is about compromise and compromise is an important component of spirituality. Through compromise we learn to make fine adjustments to our individual truths and this promotes spiritual growth. As we struggle to understand one another, we struggle to understand ourselves.

The title of this post implies that we are playing here and I am hoping it is not with fire. By bringing up the two things we are supposed to omit from any well-meaning dinner conversation I am breaking the rules a bit, I know, but I feel that both religion and politics have a place at the table of moxie. They are not something to dwell upon but they are also not so controversial that we should avoid them at all costs. They are the elephants in every room who, often, interlock trunks and peer at us with soulful eyes.