“Spirituality is the highest form of political consciousness.”
– Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett

Last spring I attended a lecture given by Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett, a citizen of the Seneca Nation and former top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society. His talk was heartfelt, inspiring and disturbing. I jotted the quote above in a notebook, with great intentions to write about it when I got home. Then, paper deadlines popped up, exam week happened, and a summer of mind-melt television binges and napping in the sun on my deck consumed me. Gratefully, I don’t beat myself up about stuff like that anymore. Instead, when I remember my grand intentions after a time, I am inclined to go back and explore what my original interest was.

Today, when I read Rev. Fassett’s quote, my heart drops for a moment. It drops because I cannot think of one politician that I would consider “spiritual.” Granted, I do not know any politicians personally, so I cannot begin to pretend that I have insight into their daily spiritual practices. What I do know is how the majority of them behave, as it is usually splashed all over television, most especially in the past several weeks. What I have witnessed has been far from what I would consider “spiritual.” What I have witnessed has been more along the lines of immoral, judgmental, disrespectful and less-than-civil. I have been disgusted and disappointed.

Then, I think about Rev. Fassett and the graciousness he emitted as he spoke. He was radiant. He has been working to fight against racism and build unity in this country and throughout the world for many years. He has met with politicians, dictators and hosts of other world leaders to discuss ways to build bridges of understanding and compromise. Through it all, he never lost that graciousness. Through it all, he has remained radiant.

WOW! How can I get some of that?!

It is very simple, really. Read the quote again: “Spirituality is the highest level of political consciousness.” I realize now, several months after being enthralled by that quote that Rev. Fassett was not speaking about politicians when he said it. He was not speaking about what needs to change in our current leaders. He was speaking about all of us. He was telling us how we can make healthy decisions in a world that seems to have lost its way. He was telling us how to influence change in a country filled with people who refuse to listen to opinions other than their own. Much like those famous words of Gandhi: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world,” Rev. Fassett was telling us to become spiritual in order to transform political consciousness. Each of us. No more pointing fingers. It is not just the job of our politicians. It is not the job of one party or another. It is the job of each and every one of us walking this earth at this moment.

Maybe that realization is why I did not write about the quote until now. Maybe it needed to swim around in my subconscious until it popped up again when I couldn’t decide what to write about on this, the “official” Columbus Day. Maybe Rev. Fassett’s words were waiting to be shared on this day, when my heart wanted to highlight the words of an indigenous member of this great land. Maybe God knows better than I do what I should be writing about and when.

3/9/2018: Me with Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett at Moravian College.