Lama Surya Das, a Tibetan Buddhist spiritual teacher, ponders the art of waiting in lines and counsels us in this excerpt from his book Buddha Standard Time to rest in delays and to be on the lookout for surprises.
Andrew Greeley, the late Catholic writer, novelist and cultural critic, writes in this excerpt from his book Death and Beyond that an integral part of the spiritual practice of hope is developing our capacity for surprise.
Parker J. Palmer, founder and Senior Partner of the Center for Courage & Renewal, salutes surprise and wonder as tools for "taking in the greatness of the world and the grace of great things," in this excerpt from his book The Courage to Teach.
Joyce Rupp, the prolific and profound Catholic writer and teacher, shares a New Year Prayer in this excerpt from May I Have This Dance? which contains the response "God, surprise us again." And in this excerpt from her book Fresh Bread and Other Stories of Spiritual Nourishment, challenges us to partake in the sweet surprises which come with insignificant or little things.
Robert Rowland Smith, the philosopher and former Oxford fellow, writes in an excerpt from Breakfast with Socrates that a line from a song called "Alive" by Mara Carlyle has spurred him to make a spiritual practice out of waking up with surprise.
David Steindl-Rast, the Benedictine author and teacher, affirms "surprise equals life" and then goes on to explore this virtue in this excerpt from Common Sense Spirituality. And in this excerpt from his bellwether book Gratefulness, The Heart of Prayer, honors the fact that "life catches us by surprise" and leads us to the spiritual practice of gratitude.
