Robert Raben: Prayer, Love & Laughter Inform Good Political Strategy

Kristine Michie welcomes longtime policy strategist and justice advocate Robert Raben in this Brave Voices episode of The PlayFull Podcast. Together, they explore how humor, faith, strategy, and emotional grounding can sustain meaningful work during times of cultural and political pushback. This is a deeply human and refreshingly unfiltered conversation about staying present, playful, and principled in complex times. Whether you’re navigating burnout or seeking renewed clarity, this episode invites you to reconnect with your purpose—and your joy.

Key Takeaways:

• Build teams intentionally around those historically excluded from power; let them demonstrate their capacity to lead complex, high-stakes work.
• Embed humor into your culture and contracts as a form of resilience and connection in emotionally demanding environments.
• Create intentional spaces—emotional, virtual, or physical—for people to process, connect, and develop coping strategies in challenging times.
• Anchor every action in a clear strategy, ensuring your tactics serve long-term goals rather than concern about near-term reactions.
• Speak openly about your faith if it fuels your justice work, and bridge divides by engaging faith communities as vital allies in progressive change.
• Focus less on debates about shifting language and more on why those words matter to you and what results you're striving to achieve.
• Allow yourself or others to step back or pause when needed, recognizing rest as essential to long-term impact.
• Treat joy, music, and play not as luxuries but as powerful tools that restore energy, deepen purpose, and sustain your commitment to justice.

"If you're a person of faith, scream it, particularly on the left… get right with people of faith. They are going to be the wedge … to set us free." — Robert Raben