Spiritual Literacy Blog

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat read the "book of the world" for spiritual meanings.

In this blog, Terry Egan, author of Fumbling: A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago, recalls working as a student chaplain at a cancer hospital. When asked by her professor what the patients talked about, she responded, "their families." He was taken aback that the subject was not God or religion or the meaning of their lives. Later, in class the professor ridiculed a "student chaplain" for not taking control and talking with the seriously ill patients about something more important than their families.

Thirteen years later, Egan is a hospice chaplain still listening to men and woman talking about their families because "that is how we talk about God. That is how we talk about the meaning of our lives. That is how we talk about the big spiritual questions of human existence." She continues: "If God is love, and we believe that to be true, then we learn about God when we learn about love. That first, and usually the last, classroom of love is the family."

This touching essay reminds us of a teaching story in Wayne Muller's book Legacy of the Heart about a troubled woman who came to the Indian saint Ramakrishna saying; "Oh, Master, I do not find that I love God." He asked, "Is there nothing, then, that you love?" To this she answered, "My little nephew." He replied, "There is your love and service to God, in your love and service to that child." Just another lesson from the classroom of love!

In an article from mindful.org, Buddhist meditation teacher and writer Sylvia Boorstein shares her practice of striking up conversations with people she meets on planes, trains, or in store lines. Many times they are "wisdom teachers waiting to remind me of important truths." A woman she meets on a plane talks to her about her family and reveals insights about grief and the ties which link us with other people.

When she was young, Boorstein's mother counseled her to be interested in other people and to ask them questions. " 'Hello' just means I notice you're here. But 'How are you?' is the beginning of connection." Those who have the gift of gab are sure to find this practice easier than introverts will. But all can benefit from hearing the life stories and recent experiences of others. Not much is required of us except to be truly present, to listen attentively, to appreciate what is being given to us, and to remain open and not judgmental as the dialogue continues. This essay is a short but sweet prompt to be open to chance encounters that can be very edifying and meaningful.

Fran de Waal, a world famous primatologist, has stated: "Empathy for other people is the one commodity the world is lacking more than oil. It would be great if we could create at least a modicum of it." Empathy can be defined as the capacity to understand and respond to the unique experience of another. It is a skill that can be developed at an early age and applied to mend relationships and conflicts. We can sharpen our empathy by asking the right questions, avoiding snap judgments, learning from the past, and setting limits.

On Rick Hanson's Greater Good blog, this neuropsychologist and author of the bestseller Buddha's Brain, believes that this practice knits human beings together and is at the heart of healthy relationships. He also sees it as a "soothing, calming bridge-building" force that can bring peace into a world that is suffering from extreme battle fatigue.

Hanson presents an empathy practice beginning with the words "Start by centering yourself" and ends with a series of questions to check out your empathic intuitions. He rightly sees empathy as a kind of mindfulness practice that is portable and can be done anywhere.

In an article in The New York Times, Susan Cain writes about a phenomenon she calls "Groupthink," which is spreading like wildfire in all arenas of our lives. We once thought that art, creativity, achievement, and spiritual growth came out of silence and solitude; now the model is collaboration, working in teams to foster creativity and innovation. Cain writes about corporations that have gotten rid of "a room of one's own" in exchange for open-plan offices. Schools have followed this trend with desks arranged in pods to encourage learning by groups. Cain even comments on the accent on group participation in churches.

But experience paints a different picture. Most inventors, like Apple's Steve Wozniack, tend to be introverts who work best when they are alone. Solitude can increase productivity, help us learn, and stimulate creativity. Cain suggests that we make a place for both solitude and teamwork in our lives and in our work instead of emphasizing one over the other.

In our Alphabet for Spiritual Literacy we have given equal coverage to solitude and teamwork: the first comes in the spiritual practice of silence and the second in the spiritual practice of unity. We believe both of these skill sets can be refined and polished as we move along life's journey.

Although this article by David J Pollay has been around for a while, we'd like to share it with those who are not familiar with it. He was riding in a New York City cab when the driver of another car almost crashed into them and then launches into a diatribe against them. The cab driver just smiles at him and drives away. Pollay asks him: "Why did you just do that? This guy could have killed us." He responds:

"Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. Just, smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me, you'll be happier."

Pollay suggests we follow "The Law of the Garbage Truck" by not allowing others to dump their trash on us or wreck our day. We can even take the pledge about this. We will be a lot happier if we let go of those who bring their garbage into our lives. The positive spiritual practice of smiling, wishing them well, and moving on is definitely the best way to go.

In We Feel Fine (2009), Sep Kamvar and Jonathan Harris did a reading of 12 million feelings posted on English language blogs and came up with some interesting findings about human emotions. The book contained spreads devoted to 50 feelings.

Now in this article posted on TheWeek.com, compiled from pieces in PC Mag and Psych Central, we read about a project conducted by University of Vermont scientists analyzing the emotional colorings of tweets from 63 million Tweeters since January 2009. The findings indicate that happiness is in decline. Sadness reigns along with a preference of night over morning and the weekend over early in the week.

Spiritual directors, counselors, and coaches are trying to help people of all ages cope with depression, financial worries, rampant unemployment, health care crises, and deep fears about the future. Sadness is an honest response to the deep losses and the genuine suffering that people are experiencing. The challenges of this era call upon us all to focus on the inner work that enables us to develop the spiritual qualities — patience, resiliency, equanimity, joy, perseverance, hope — necessary to carry on despite the hard times. To that end, we keep adding resources to Spirituality & Practice and cover these topics often in our e-courses. See the practice homepages devoted to Joy and Hope and articles on perseverance and equanimity.

In an article in The New York Times, veteran spiritual writer Pico Iyer notes that the average American spends at least 8 1/2 hours a day in front of a screen and the typical office worker enjoys no more than three minutes at his or her desk without interruption. These two facts alone are cause for concern about the health of our bodies, minds, and souls. Perhaps that explains the latest trend in the travel industry: "black-hole resorts" where you pay extra for the privilege of not being able to get online from your room. In China and Korea kids addicted to the screen are sent to "Internet Rescue Camps."

These examples signal that more and more people "crave nothing more than freedom, if only for a short while, from all the blinking machines, streaming videos and scrolling headlines that leave them feeling empty and too full at once." Iyer talks about a few ways people are dealing with the deluge of data coming their way. Two of his journalist friends take an Internet Sabbath every week, turning off their online connections from Friday night to Monday morning. Others go for walks and purposely leave their cellphones at home. Several times a year, Iyer goes on a three-day retreat to a Benedictine monastery where he skips the services and meditation sessions in order to just immerse himself in the stillness surrounding him.

The yearning to unplug, to slow down our hectic lives, and to savor silence is an authentic one. Even though Spirituality & Practice is a data-full website with plenty of things to attract your attention and immerse you in the world of the screen, we also point out spiritual resources on silence, one of the 37 spiritual practices around which this website is organized.

In this important report from Religion Dispatches on the ways in which social media are transforming religion, Elizabeth Drescher notes that more and more believers and a large number of congregations and religious institutions are using the social media and networking sites. They have become a means of sharing, caring, communing, witness, advocacy, and learning.

The five Social Media trends are:

1. Social Prayer is very popular as are Facebook and Twitter as vehicles for "religious expression, exploration, and engagement."

2. Ministers-on-the-go use the location-based service (LBS) Foursquare to check-in and alert community members where they are available for conversation.

3. Religious-themed apps are selling since both religious and spiritual people are interested in prompts during the day to spur their practices.

4. The Curate is becoming a Curator of online content. ("Religionists who can curate content and offline connection will earn more stars in the digital book of everyday life than those who continue to focus on broadcasting their latest deep thought or (oh, sweet mother of mercy, please make it stop!) their latest sermon.")

5. New Commandments or social media guidelines are being developed by religious groups to encourage appropriate behavior and courtesy online.

You may have noticed the large number of articles on this blog during 2011 about the Internet and its impact on our lives. We hope to find a more regular way curating this material since it has changed our lives and our understanding of ministry. We will keep you posted.

In this fascinating article in The New York Times, Julie Scelfo reveals that an average of 300 million minutes of Skype video calls are made a day globally, an increase of about 900 percent from 2007. This communication vehicle is being used regularly for a wide range of activities in order to include friends and family members who are elsewhere in birthday parties, baby showers, and holiday get-togethers.

Many creative parents are using Skype to read their children stories when they are on the road for business. Jewish families have shared holiday rituals for Hanukkah together, and Christians could explore sharing baptism services with missing relatives.

Some senior centers and retirement communities are offering classes on how to use Skype to elders looking to keep in touch with old friends, maintain relationships with their children, and establish them with their grandchildren. Hospices have used video chats as patients get ready to die and want to speak to faraway loved ones. For people who no longer can get to their congregation regularly, or for those who are distant from others of their tradition, video chats offer ways to feel part of the community. They expand the reach of spiritual circles as people are able to communicate directly with fellow members, spiritual directors, teachers, and retreat leaders.

Video chats open doors by making it possible for us to harvest new memories, connect with those we love and respect, cultivate the art of listening, expand the role of rituals in our lives, and express our caring and sharing instincts on a regular basis. The technology is enhancing spiritual practices of many types, and we couldn't be more pleased!

David Briggs reviews the findings of the latest Faith Communities Today survey where the percentage of U.S. congregations reporting high spiritual vitality declined from 43 percent in 2005 to 28 percent in 2010. The largest decline was registered by white mainline Protestant denominations and the reasons given for this phenomenon include depletion of energy and morale due to the recession; aging membership; and an emphasis on social service programs over ones promoting spiritual growth. Another report by the Hartford Institute for Religious Research reveals that people now have "less time" for church and that their faith has "gotten weaker."

Over the years we have tried to convince ministers and lay leaders of churches to "equip the saints" by expanding their emphasis on on informal spiritual practices which can be used by people in everyday life from early morning devotions to intercessory prayers on the way to work to gratitude practices after lunch to gathas while washing your hands to end-of-the day rituals. According to Briggs some hurting mainline congregations have tried to deepen the faith life of members by three spiritual practices: prayer, worship, and scripture reading. This seems to us to be a very limited agenda for anyone seriously yearning for spiritual growth and sanctification! This traditional approach to practice has been used successfully by evangelical Christian congregations but is not reaching young adults and members of the Baby Boom generation who are ready for resources that can lead them to spiritual maturity and elder wisdom. In 2012, Spirituality & Practice will continue to present practical resources for those seeking paths to a richer and deeper spirituality in everyday life.

Years ago we used to regularly read The Futurist magazine and the reports from their conventions and special events. During the 1980s it was an adventure to think about possible happenings down the pike or around the bend. A whole batch of scholars and experts told us what to expect and we eagerly listened and hoped for the best. But the realities of senseless wars and the environmental crisis put a dent in our future facing. And continuing revelations about the corruption and ethical breeches of the corporations who would be the major players in our future added further disenchantment to our fascination with what's to come.

Now Thomas Lin and Jonathan Huang report in a special issue of Science Times titled "The Future of Computing." Here are predictions about robotic restaurants; computers replacing doctors, translators, and drivers; contact with alien life forms; curing cancer and more. These caught our fancy: "a halo of data" will surround us; cash will be replaced by electric currency; a personal life recorder will store full video and audio recordings of our lives; and best of all — there will be full human memory backup systems which will be especially appealing for forgetful elders like ourselves.

Many of these possible developments are 50 to 60 years away. Meanwhile, we have a spiritual duty to take care of the planet; deal with our faltering economy which has caused unemployment, homelessness, and poverty; and find fresh avenues to peace and nonviolence. Perhaps then our children and grandchildren can reap the rewards of future computing marvels instead of tasting the bitter fruit of hopelessness and helplessness that have come with college debt and lack of work.

Margaret Silf is a prolific writer on contemporary spirituality who lives in Scotland. We have reviewed ten of her books. In this article, Silf marvels at "the divine dynamic" of little seeds and little deeds. Trifles and insignificant things that seem to have no value at all can lead to miracles and wonders beyond our wildest imaginings.

Silf tells of a little girl in England who took a pound coin that was given to her by a tooth fairy and sent it to the prime minister "to make the country better and pay for jobs." Everyone who heard about it was moved. Silf writes: "Miracles happen when we put the common good before our own gratification."

Think about the good things that have been set into motion by an encouraging word from someone just when you needed it most. We call these "Spirit messages" and are surprised at how they revive our energy and hopefulness about our work. Silf writes that the season of Advent "invites us to recognize miracles when they are still very small."

In Buddhism, generosity is one of the central pillars of the spiritual life. It also plays a major role in the Native American path as potlatch or the ritual of give-aways. Jews are challenged to be generous and hospitable to strangers, and Christians are encouraged to share what they have with others. Prophet Muhammad said that generous people would enter paradise. And Gandhi, a Hindu, said: "Don't forget that people are as generous as clouds and their hearts can be as tender as the raindrops."

In an article from The New York Times Magazine Tara Parker-Pope shares the latest research from the University of Virginia' s National Marriage Project where it was found that generosity as "the virtue of giving good things to one's spouse freely and abundantly" was a spur to "very happy" marriages. W. Bradford Wilson, who led the research, said that the kind of largess that matters is "generosity going beyond the ordinary expectations with small acts of service and making an extra effort to be affectionate." The time may be coming when married couples rank this social value above sexual intimacy and commitment.

In her book Counting on Kindness, Wendy Lustbader notes: "The words 'genius' and 'generous' come from the Latin root 'genere' meaning to 'beget.' To have a genius for life is to possess the ability to generate warmth and well-being in others." And what better place to start with than the person you love most?

In an article on the Shambhala Sun website, Pico Iyer writes about having a front-row seat in the private cineplex of his mind where he can watch his moods and thoughts as they emerge and pass by. The writer in all of us then decides which ones are worth sharing with others. We take what we have seen in our mind's eye and weave engaging, edifying, or entertaining stories out of them.

Iyer in this essay is especially interested in the various moods and ideas connected with the four seasons: summer and wilting, winter and remaking, autumn and intimations of death, and spring, a time of blossoming. The closer Iyer watches the seasons, the more they teach him about the impermanence of all things, including his thoughts, moods, and emotions.

It behooves us each day to spend some time in meditation where we get a vivid glimpse of what's going on in our private cineplex of our minds. Some thoughts and images will stay with us and other will vanish without a trace. We are grateful to the insights into this process brought to us by Pico Iyer, a superb writer on his own experiences who has also been covering the activities and travels of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for 25 years.

In this article for The New York Times, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese opposition leader who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, shares her responses to the political upheavals of the Arab Spring and the different agendas spawned by power and by passion. She does not know whether or not the changes in the Middle East and Arab Africa will last or devolve into authoritarian rule by military leaders. On the other hand, the passion that brought down apartheid in South Africa was fueled by the commitment of resilient activists. Aung San Suu Kyi writes:

"It is passion that moves the hearts and minds and makes history. It is passion that translates into power. When such passion is brought to bear on public issues, it is a potent instrument for political and social change."

In pluralistic societies, change is brought about by many collaborative efforts. When there is little or no opposition, power hungry leaders like Stalin take over and rule with incredible ruthlessness. Aung SanSuu Ki hopes that passion and power will meld in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya and that lasting change can become a reality. We share her hopes and pray that the spiritual practice of passion may animate all those seeking to create a better world.