Burt Berlowe is a longtime Twin Cities peace activist and author. His monthly radio show, Spirit Road Radio, debuted last month on Air America Minnesota (950-AM). We asked him about the intersection of spirituality and activism in daily life.

How do spirituality and social change intersect?
People involved in social change often are sustained by some sort of spiritual connection. It can be religion, but it doesn’t have to be. I’m thinking of spirituality in the broad sense—as a connection to a force that moves and sustains you; something you care deeply about—be it a religious faith, a concern for the planet, or a deep caring about an issue and/or individuals affected by it.

Conversely, spirituality can be fueled by the desire to create a better world. In the more concrete sense, we have seen how collaborations between faith communities and grassroots organizations can lead to powerful alliances for social change.

Where have you seen examples of this intersection in the Twin Cities recently?
One great example was the recent appearance here of Rabbi Michael Lerner of Tikkun magazine and author of The Left Hand of God. He spoke at St Joan of Arc Church about the importance or merging spirituality and social change—a message that seemed to resonate with the capacity crowd. Related to that has been the formation of the Minnesota Chapter of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, founded by Rabbi Lerner, an organization that brings together spirituality and grassroots activism and the Religion and Labor Network, that includes under its umbrella groups like MICAH, ISIAAH and the like. And, of course, there are the millions of individuals taking action on their own with a combination of spirituality and social change.

The Left has generally ignored the power of spirituality in its political initiatives. Is that beginning to change?
I hope so. There are signs that progressives are beginning to see the value of including a spiritual message in their campaigns and organizing efforts. The popularity of messages by people like Rabbi Lerner, George Lakoff, and others is an indication of a growing awareness of the value of a spiritual message. Whether or not that awareness is turned into political gain remains to be seen.

Can you envision a time when liberals can attract "values voters" as effectively as the radical right wing has done over the past 25 years?
Yes. If they do as Lakoff and others suggest and reframe the language they use, as the conservatives have done so successfully. They need to frame the values issue in more than a strict religious sense and relate it to people’s everyday needs and concerns: family values means valuing families, poverty is a moral issue, etc.

Who's leading the way in this initiative locally?
Again, organizations like the Network of Spiritual Progressives, Religion and Labor Network, etc. as well as individual faith communities. There don’t seem to be many individual political leaders leading this effort. But that may happen as the movement grows.

How do you see this playing out in statewide elections this year?
I don’t know if this will be a big issue in the state compared to nationally. Political candidates aren’t addressing it. But if the aforementioned organizations keep up their pressure that could change. It probably wouldn’t have much effect in the Twin Cities, but in some traditionally conservative or moderate outlying areas of the states, this could become an issue, especially if democrats decide to get into the “values” battle.