So You Want to Be President: How's Your Interfaith IQ? [View all]

02/14/2016 05:31 pm ET | Updated 15 hours ago

Among the desert fathers and mothers (Christian mystics and ascetics living around the third century), when a community needed to choose a leader, they chose the man or woman hiding farthest away, in the least accessible cave.

Why? They believed that anyone who said they wanted to lead lacked the humility and wisdom to be a good leader. By seeking out the person who had chosen a contemplative life, they hoped to find someone with experience and the skills of reflection and patience.

Our democratic system is laudable, and can be transformative for those of us who participate fully in it. We don't need to give up our system of allowing individuals to run for office and share their vision for the United States. However, we do need to look at this process critically and ask: What particular skills and attributes does this process highlight, and are these the skills and attributes we want our leaders to embody?

While the United States only ranks "moderate" for "religious diversity," according to recent Pew data, our culture and political practices place high value on diverse voices and participants in the civic square.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-varnonhughes/so-you-want-to-be-president-interfaith-iq_b_9210642.html