Civility
Being gracious includes awareness of our actions and their impact, including the degree to which we protect each other’s dignity through thoughtful actions and kind speech. Find ancient teachings about and contemporary depictions of what it means to be civil, as well as suggestions for how to develop this essential quality through articles, blog posts, books, films, quotes, and more.
Community
Take on the fun, healing, protective, and sometimes difficult work of welcoming others into the community of humans, Earth, and all her species. These books, films, prayers, quotes, spiritual practices and more steer us towards an understanding that we live in a concentric circle of connections that is full of untapped resources and capable of transforming the world for the better.
Conversations
Find and create a hospitable spirit in your conversations with an array of resources. These articles, blog posts, book reviews, book excerpts, film reviews, prayers, quotes, spiritual practices, and websites on the art of conversation will enrich your ability to share and listen, facilitate understanding yourself and others, and foster deeper connections.
Diversity
Cross over the barrier of difference to listen to the other, move toward mutual understanding and respect, forge new relationships, and engage in peacemaking. These book and film reviews, book excerpts, spiritual practices, articles, blogs, e-courses, quotes and more will help you build the courage to face the challenges of otherness, along with understanding, hospitality, and empathy.
Empathy
Make the most of each interaction with the wisdom that is emerging from research as well as personal experiences of empathy. These practices, articles, books, excerpts, quotes, and more about understanding and sharing the feelings of others will help you understand the nuances of empathy and see what hope for the world it offers.
Enemies
Take a look at the nature of animosity and what we can do from our end to replace it with kindness, hospitality, openness, and compassion. These spiritual practices, articles, blogs, book excerpts and recommendations, film reviews, poems, prayers, quotes, teachings stories and more offer an abundance of methods to face and heal internal and external conflicts.
Monasticism
Consider experiencing the monastic life as part of your spiritual journey. Books and movies about the life of monks, nuns, and lay people living a contemplative life offer a treasure trove of devotional opportunities and resources to help you live with graciousness.
Progressive Christian Spirituality
Enjoy a roundup of our content on the emerging trend of progressive Christianity, including a comprehensive A-Z offering of spiritual practices covering topics such as adversaries, a better world, devotion, faith, the fire of love, hope, hospitality, justice, kindness, mysticism, a new moral vision, resting in stillness, the way of wisdom, what churches could be, unity, zeal and more. These books, quotations, probes, stories, prayers, and more promote a vision characterized by such elements as nonexclusivity in our multifaith world, a priority of experience over belief, and spiritual literacy.
Racism
Gain a deeper understanding of racism in our world and develop empathy and compassion for its victims. These books, books excerpts, quotes, blog posts, personal explorations, and more provide antidotes to the fears and resentments at the root of racism through the spiritual practices of Compassion, Connections, Hope, Hospitality, Imagination, Justice, Kindness, Listening, Love, Meaning, Openness, Peace, Reverence, Shadow, Transformation, Unity, and X – The Mystery.
Respect
Practice being open, flexible, and willing to look again. These articles, books, prayers, spiritual practices, and other resources offer a pathway to practice greater respect for our bodies, our elders, the rights of others, nature, animals, places, and more.
Teaching
Read about teaching as a vocation or watch movies about idealistic teachers. These quotes from Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach and links to 18 movies about teachers encourage contemplation of how teachers live out the spiritual practices of Connections, Enthusiasm, Hospitality, Imagination, Listening, Meaning, Nurturing, Openness, Questing, Transformation, Unity, Wonder, and You.
