SENTIENT TIMES • October/ November 2007

By Deborah Mokma

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
- Arundhati Roy

Each time I read James Kullander’s wonderful interview with Sister Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun who has lived an exemplary life of service (see page 6), my understanding of how spiritual teachings inform our world expands significantly. Her explanation of why all the spiritual traditions are important validates what so many of us who embrace an eclectic spiritual point of view have long felt:

“In what way do all the great spiritual traditions of the globe intersect and require the presence of all the others? What great gifts do we each bring, without which the other religions are incomplete? For me Catholicism brings to the world a tremendous awareness of the sacredness of life, the notion that all life is holy, can be made holy, must become holy. What does it lack? The wisdom of the Upanishads, for example, which say that the individual person is face to face with God, that the institution of religion does not mediate God but points the way to God. The fact of the matter is that the Catholic believer comes to God through the instrument of the Church, rather than simply through the tradition. I admire the spiritual depth of Hinduism and Buddhism. I admire the communal nature of Judaism and Islam. These other faiths stretch my mind and make me think deeply about the insights that Catholicism gives me. We need to get to a point where we can say, no matter what religion or spiritual tradition we belong to, that we are all a part of the mind of God.”

Whether we follow the original teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed or Moses, or consider the Natural world to be our source of information, this essential truth abides: We share this world and the responsibilities of seeing that each of us, especially the least among us, have sufficient means to sustain ourselves without unnecessary suffering.

With this in mind we are delighted to share an excerpt from Sharif Abdullah’s book, Creating A World That Works For All, in which he examines the need to “shift our consciousness and our values from a foundation of exclusivity to one of inclusivity.” Mr. Abdullah offers a positive point of reference for us to use in choosing how to both embrace a more inclusive approach while insuring we see that there is enough for all. He explains “A world that works for all is not achievable without restructuring our priorities, our attitudes, and our culture. We cannot tinker with this; the change must be fundamental—an evolutionary shift toward spiritual compassion and corresponding shifts in our actions. In short, a transformation of head, heart, and hand. We must work on ourselves first, and then be prepared to do the work on our culture and institutions—the essence of this work is spiritual, part of our quest for the reality that transcends our ordinary experience.”

As our decisions and priorities become based upon this understanding, as our compassion for others increases, a more inclusive world will be possible. I believe it is a question of when, not if, this will happen. Once a critical mass is reached, when enough of us embrace these concepts, it will be much like the Berlin Wall coming down—a surprise to some, a dream come true to others. Please join us!

SENTIENT TIMES
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