What monks could teach Washington's politicians -- USA TODAY, July 25, 2011

When scholarship disappeared from the continent of Europe during the dark ages, the monks and scribes of Ireland preserved classic Greek, Roman, Jewish and Christian texts — an accomplishment Thomas Cahill documented in his 1995 best-seller How the Irish Saved Civilization. Now, with the federal government facing a potentially disastrous default if the debt ceiling is not raised, we need the wisdom of the medieval monks again.

Sixth-century Irish monastics — Christian men and women who structured their lives around prayer, work and obedience in religious communities — have important lessons to teach 21st century American politicians.

With debt talks grinding toward an Aug. 2 deadline, our Republican and Democratic leaders are pandering to their bases instead of talking with each other in honest and constructive ways. Democrats see the preservation of governmental programs as an article of faith, while the GOP is largely in lockstep in opposing any tax increases to deal with the dangerous federal debt.

From coast to coast, Americans are being subjected to what might as well be a caustic reality show entitled Politicians Behaving Badly.

The political cycle just reinforces this dysfunction, of course. Relentless fundraising keeps the focus of politicians on donors, instead of on each other. More attention is given to the next election than to the hard work of discussing issues and hammering out compromises. In fact, compromises are perceived as signs of weakness.

It's hard to believe that it was just a generation ago that icons such as Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill were able to take principled stands but also hammer out compromises.

'New monastics'

The Irish monastics who provided strong leadership to their communities 1,500 years ago could teach our elected representatives a few lessons today. These men and women were as disciplined and focused as today's most partisan politicians, but they balanced their strong positions with a commitment to hospitality and community life. And their practices continue to shape religious communities such as The Simple Way, a group of "new monastics" in Philadelphia who are trying to break down the conservative-liberal divide in Christianity by being good neighbors in an inner-city community.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., who has been out front for the GOP, could learn from St. Kevin, who was so disciplined that he held out his arms for hours in prayer. One day, a blackbird laid an egg in Kevin's hand, and he remained in that position until the baby bird hatched. While there is clearly some historical hyperbole in this story, it illustrates Kevin's strong commitment to a position, which a politician such as Cantor would have to admire. But Kevin was equally committed to the welfare of his community and served as the abbot of a monastery and the bishop of a region outside Dublin, caring for the needs of young and old, rich and poor. He balanced extreme personal discipline with service to the larger community.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is steering the Democrats in the House negotiations, should sit at the feet of St. Brigid, who founded two monastic institutions, one for men and one for women. St. Brigid was a strong leader, equally committed to contemplation and hospitality, and knew that some lessons are best learned from sitting down at a table with strangers, talking with them and being influenced by them. Pelosi should share a meal with some Tea Party Republicans, and see whether a dinner conversation can accomplish what political debate cannot.

And politicians of every stripe should look to the example of St. Columba. Driven out of Ireland by controversy, he established a monastic community on the Isle of Iona in Scotland, where he earned a reputation as a holy man, so unconcerned with personal comfort that he used a rock for a pillow. From Iona, he spread Christianity through Scotland and acted as a diplomat among the tribes of the region. But his commitment to reconciliation was not a sign of weakness. Columba is remembered as a warrior saint, and legend says he saved a swimmer from the Loch Ness monster by commanding the beast, "You will go no further!"

Find a balance

A leader can be a diplomat and a warrior, but the two roles must be held in creative tension, whether you are a representative, a senator or the president of the United States.

Our 21st century politicians are not monastics. Far from it. But they would be more effective leaders if they learned to strike a balance between personal discipline and community life, and between strong positions and hospitality. These habits create healthy spiritual and political lives, and our nation suffers — as it does today — when they are not being practiced.

Henry G. Brinton, pastor of Fairfax Presbyterian Church in Virginia, is author of Balancing Acts: Obligation, Liberation, and Contemporary Christian Conflicts.