Spiritually Speaking

The ideal for me is illustrated by the Bahá’í writings that remind us the non-medical use of alcohol and drugs is destructive to mind and body, which instead deserve our greatest respect.

Most current Bible versions use the pronouns, ‘he’ and ‘him’, when referring to the Holy Spirit. In Aramaic, the Holy Spirit was referred to, and understood, in the feminine.

All of us are looking for a place to belong, a place where we can be ourselves, without judgement or without expectations of how we should be or how we should act.

Liturgy is by no means the only way to pray – silence, music, meditation, walking, and so much more can make up what we often call ‘spiritual practice’, but the shape, the feel, and the experience of being a part of a long line of people who have used and those who still use the liturgies in our prayers leaves me feeling deeply grounded and connected to my tradition.

Ramadan is like a reset button. It’s an opportunity to see the best version of ourselves and the capabilities we didn’t know we possessed.

As I  maintain friendships with people of different Faiths, I try to ensure that they know my respect for their Messengers, and their Holy Books, because they are all part of my religion.

On Ash Wednesday, carrying "Ashes to Go onto the street", I was reminded again that any spirituality that aspires to be authentic has to be lived out in the everyday, among the harried, the homeless and the hospital goers.

The religious differences that divide us can sometimes make it seem as though we are members of quite different tribes. But by focusing exclusively on what divides us, we lose sight of an enormous amount of common ground.

Secular Humanistic Jews approach Judaism not as a belief system, but “as the historical and cultural experience of the Jewish people.” Jewish identity is a result “of ancestry or choice,” which is also true in the other, larger branches of Judaism, though the criteria may differ for ancestry and Jewish conversion.

Working with people with wildly different opinions, can be challenging, but ultimately we know that when we do, it brings a full story to the table for all, not just for some.