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Good morning, I’ve watched with fascination the electrifying words from the Democratic National Convention this week, including Kamala Harris’s speech of a lifetime to accept her party’s nomination to be the next President of the United States. Democrats, just like the Republicans a few weeks before, used their convention to inspire their base and give a glimpse into what it is they’re about; how they believe the world should be, and what they will do to make their vision a reality. Stars of politics, film, music and entertainment took to the stage with carefully-crafted lines delivered with religious fervour the likes of which have been seen in pulpits around the world, from abolition to the civil rights movement. I’ve long been fascinated by the power of speech to change hearts and minds. Every summer for the past 13 years, I’ve come to Greenbelt Festival, where I am now, to have my mind changed. Started 50 years ago, this arts, faith and justice festival has welcomed performances from artists such as U2, Laura Mvula and Labi Siffre. But it’s the talks I come here for – to have my mind expanded by listening to well-known thinkers such as Gordon Brown, Rowan Williams or economist Kate Raworth. This weekend I’ll hear new and probably uncomfortable perspectives from former �鶹�� Reith lecturer Darren McGarvey. Political rallies like the Democratic National Convention this week – electrifying though they may have been - often speak to crowds of people who already agree with them. But maybe in our increasingly polarised world, we need oratory that breaks out of the echo chamber – that connects rather than divides. One of my favourite passages of scripture is found in the book of Acts, where Paul is invited to the Areopagus – the meeting place of the most powerful men in Athens, where different ideas were discussed and debated. They told Paul they wanted to hear more of his strange ideas about God. Paul’s speech is a masterclass in oratory. He doesn’t just use fancy words but appeals to the values of Athenians – their own culture, their own poets - to turn their minds, and their hearts, to his point of view. Some of them sneered, yes, but some of them wanted to hear more. The best and most persuasive oratory is ultimately about connecting to people where they are. This too lies at the heart of the Christian faith, where God steps in to the everyday – what Christians call incarnation. It’s not about enforcing ideas, but about changing the world through connection and relationship. As Abraham Lincoln once said: “If you wish to win a man over to your ideas, first make him your friend.”