In a nutshell, what was so remarkable about the retreat was the container that all of us built. It was a container for the whole. It was palpable in the room. One could feel the presence of the whole… and, as a result, the holy.

This is not just a play on words. Both Bill Ury and I observed it. The presence of the whole inspired people. It raised them up. It created a powerful, invisible incentive for each person to connect with their higher selves. For this reason, even the participants who we were forewarned would be the most attacking and combative, behaved in a genuinely collaborative and respectful manner.

But the tone, for much of the sessions, was far beyond civility. It was about the sacred. That manifested itself in an obvious way in the prayers that preceded every meal, and also closed the final session. These were spoken in English (by the Christian Coalition), Hebrew (by Jewish participants) and Arabic (by the representative of the Muslim Public Affairs Council.)  But in much less obvious and far more powerful ways, the sacred manifested itself in the tone of the conversations. There were no “cheap shots,” no caustic comments. Instead, there was a deep, almost reverent curiosity about the nature of the differences present in the room.

In terms of content, the main issues we delved into were: (1) the nature of the political spectrum itself; (2) race, class, privilege; (3) growth versus environment; and (4) fair elections and how to ensure them; (5) the role of the media, children and family life; (6) the pros and cons of the Patriot Act; and (7) strategies for mobilizing grassroots participants, particularly through the use of internet technology. These conversations were powerful, substantive, and provocative; all require follow-up.

The main issues we avoided were (1) the Iraq war, torture, foreign policy; (2) global warming; and (3) how both of these issues relate to presidential politics. We did so, I believe, intentionally. I think we knew that our container was too embryonic, and still too fragile, too handle these issues. However, plans are forming for follow-up “transpartisan” exploration of both of these issues.

Perhaps the most exciting development during the retreat was the relationships that formed between so-called adversaries. I wish I could name names, but our agreement precludes that, So let me simply say that there were several Left-Right coalitions that formed and, within a few months, will begin to take concerted action on some of the issues mentioned above

For me, personally, working in this container with Bill restored a lot of my faith. I did not realize how debilitating, and depressing, the daily drip-drip-drip of partisan news can be. But at the cross-spectrum retreat, when I felt my energy soar and my hope spiral upward, I could feel the difference. I learned the same lesson during the Congressional Retreat, but then, over the years, seemed to forget it: the people are good; the system is not. If we we can make a better system, that brings out the best rather than worst in active citizens, we would have a much better country than we do today.

What happened was not an accident of a fluke. It was the result of intention. The intention was to create a container for the whole, and our team held that container. Several times, for example, I felt that Bill held the container when I could not, and vice versa. And several times, I felt that the rest of the team maintained the energy, when the two of us might not have. And, even more moving, a number of participants showed profound leadership and used their voices to take the process to a deeper/higher level than any of us "facilitators" could.

It was guided by spirit. Spirit in politics. And that has brought a bright and wonderful light into this winter season for me.

Where will the light lead? I don't know yet. But I know that it is more powerful than "civility," or "being nice." It is not about being "polite" to the other side. It is about Truth. It is about Love. It is about better legislation, and better leadership. It is about serving God.