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Good morning. As the American election enters its last stretch, I'm struck by the importance of religion in both campaigns. Here in Britain, we've all heard of the religious Right - but we're less sensitive to how religious the Left can be, and I find it fascinating how Donald Trump and Joe Biden use similar language to evoke different ideas. They both talk about love as a Christian ideal and their relationship with Jesus. Trump calls Jesus "the boss". For Mr Trump, Christianity tends to represent identity; for Mr Biden it's about charity. The right accuses the Left of being unchristian primarily because they tolerate abortion; the Left accuses the Right of being unchristian because of Mr Trump's position on immigration or opposition to welfare. I'm not going to say which is correct because, confusingly, I think they both are. To me, Christianity is both conservative and radical, and if you're trying to work out how to vote from the Bible, I think you'll struggle. It's one good reason for Britain to go on largely avoiding the politicisation of religion. On the other hand, we can't entirely avoid the religiousization of politics. Why? Because if you are religious, it often defines you - so, if you go into politics, it'll probably define you there as well. And America is a far more religious culture than Britain. Here in the UK, when I talk about God, there's usually an embarrassed silence; it throws up barriers. When I talk about God in the United States, it pulls barriers down - including between the races. No one's going to deny the racism that exists within churches, but I have lived in parts of America and, honestly, one place where I have seen black and white come into contact is the church. When I'm in the more secular Britain I can feel like a stranger in a strange land, and it's when I encounter religious cultures - be it India or the Middle East - I feel on a stronger footing because there's a commonality of worldview. This searching for commonality produces friendships within the UK that, again, crosses the normal divides. I sometimes feel I have more in common with an Imam or a Rabbi than I do people of my own ethnicity or class who eschew religion altogether - just as I *get* Mr Biden or Mr Trump even if I don't agree with them. Whoever wins next week, the continuity of Christian imagery doesn't have to be a negative thing because it can, at best, provide a shared language - a language that, even if it doesn't provide unity, does offer some hope of understanding.