The fact that we all came from the same source serves as a reminder that we can continue to work as a body together. In our individualist culture, it is often difficult to get past our own needs and wants, but when we remember that people accomplish great things together by cooperating with each other through our own unique gifts, we see ourselves as a collective body, rather than separated individuals. We came from the primordial energy of the Big Bang, and we are still connected to each other and must remember the roles we play in society for the greater good of the collective social body.

Examining world religious ethics is good because religions can guide us to higher morality; however, different religions also get different things wrong. Right now, I am learning how to sift through these contradicting ideas about ethics in religion and figure out what I believe, what I reject, and what I question. In this way, I am neither simply conforming to one set of religious principles but am also not simply dismissing all religious ethics. So far, I have been focusing on Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, and Confucianism, but I also hope to study some more as well as the next few days go by.

Absolutely not, in my opinion! Look at the country and the world right now. There are migrant children being caged; people are being shot because of a lack of basic gun safety laws; Muslims are being mistreated in the United States; Christians are persecuted in other countries; and we are on the brink of environmental disaster! To truly be spiritual, regardless of specific beliefs, we all have a common calling, I think, to risk everything for the sake of spiritual principles. This means civilly disobeying if necessary, taking a stand when something is wrong, and fighting for what is right, regardless of the risks involved. The early Christians believed that they should be willing to die for their faith if necessary; I think every spiritual community, regardless of specific religious or spiritual beliefs, ought to make the same commitment.

Right now, I am making a goal to never drive any distance under 16 miles. For a very short distance, I can walk; for a distance of a mile or more, I can run; for a distance of more than 8 miles, I can bike, but I want to drive as little as possible to live the life I ought to: one that is dedicated to avoiding carbon emissions and materialism. For anyone interested, I challenge you to do the same. For at least the next 40 days, try to do the same thing and see how it goes. That’s what I’m doing, and, if I succeed, I plan to make this a life-time habit, God-willing.

Wanting to be right is the substance of confirmation bias. It can and does keep us from seeking information that contradicts our beliefs. I have found that the information out there can be very misleading, so it’s best to assume you know nothing, and whatever else is out there can help you along the way. Just remember: you can’t even really be sure that anything is real except for your own consciousness. Even then, it’s not what you think it is. Of course, however, I could be wrong about everything I just said.

The story of my spiritual journey from my upbringing as an extremely conservative Lutheran to my current experiences and spiritual struggles as a spiritually fluid person makes up a great deal of the ways I identify myself. The way I tell this story, however, can sometimes lack a sense of appreciation for how I seem to be growing toward having a deep sense of the presence of the spirit world and to using my wisdom to make positive change in the world (maybe even on an almost messianic level! Why not experiment with idealism?). Perhaps emphasizing the ways in which I seem to be going toward this new way of living, being, and influencing the world can help me to go beyond the sense of spiritual limitation I have been feeling lately.

I value ethical wisdom; love and compassion; beauty in plants and animals, including humans; social justice; sacred texts from different spiritual traditions; spirituality; philosophy; the insights of antiquity; the environment; gratefulness (of course!); being willing to listen to those with whom we disagree and learn from them; fulfilling my collective and individual dharma; forgiveness and loving even the unloving; relationship with the sacred; hard work; education; and hearing the voices from the margins of society in interpreting spiritual teachings. I’ve listed a lot here, so I’ll just talk about a couple investment benefits. In growing in wisdom, I have given up some happiness, as the struggle for answers is a long, hard journey often fraught with anxiety and uncertainty, but, even so, once I have breakthroughs in wisdom, I become happier and learn a lot of practical wisdom afterwards. In cultivating love and compassion, I often sacrifice money to give to those in need, but I end up feeling good about it in the end because I know that someone is now better off for my generosity. In living more green, I sometimes give up ease and convenience or even money, but ultimately, I care about the planet more than these things and am willing to give up my life to protect it if necessary.

I find wonder in the vast diversity and interconnectedness and flow of energy between plants and animals, other human beings with their diverse cultures and spiritual ideas, the wonders of space and the stars above us, the ways in which ancient cultures and philosophies have brought us to modern technology, the vast wisdom I have learned from listening to others throughout the years, the amazing possibilities and mysteries that are present if evidence comes to convince me that psychic phenomena and the Law of Attraction really occur, and such complex marvels in the human body such as the brain and the immune system. I could list many more, but I would be here all day if I tried to list every single facet of life in which I find wonder.