By recognizing the divine around us, we will eventually reach the point where we conclude that the love and beauty that we’ve been resonating with must have an invisible Creative Source. Whether we call that source God, or something else, is unimportant. more

Humans want life to resonate with meaning – enough meaning to lift their souls above the dreary and monotonous reality of daily survival. It is thrilling to imagine that we can contribute to a larger and higher purpose that will save the day, or save the world. We don’t mind sacrificing for a cause that seems just. more

How dreadful and painful are the words, "I do not feel loved." With these words, our breath seems to stop. Our life implodes, and hope dies. Some people feel that way all the time, and have felt unloved for so long that they have become brittle and old, in spirit and in heart. more

For me, life has been a long process of finding out who I am and what I love. I feel rather like a man who was covered in honey and rolled in flour, across the years of my life, collecting bits and baubles and dabs of dirt all the while, and then dumped in the desert completely naked with the decree to "figure it all out" in my own good time. more

Religious freedom allows mysticism to bloom. When a person is granted complete religious freedom, he or she can explore the inner world of love and faith with impunity. That exploration might lead them to practice Buddhism even though they were raised Christian. It might lead them down many paths, some of them unexpected and different. Yet, each person must go their own way, for mysticism recognizes that each person is following the blueprint that God has expressed in them, and has expressed as them. more

One beautiful spring morning in Virginia, as I walked across our yard, I stopped, and stared at a truly lovely sight. There were three blue and purple and yellow irises waving at me, as if to say, “We’re here. Have you noticed us yet?” In truth, I had not. I had seen them, but I had not regarded them. They were magnificent, and as I gazed at them, they became the center of my world. more

Why do flowers have this effect on human beings? Why is it that we can also completely lose touch with the beauty of nature, caught up as we sometimes are with the pain and grind of daily life? more

What is it that we love, in ourselves and in others? At first, our answers might include a variety of personality traits, such as humor and wit and charm. We are drawn to others for many reasons, both noble and ignoble. Even though we may be temporarily fascinated by glitter or power or celebrity, is it not common to us all that we recognize that a person’s true value is found in their internal world? more

I love looking at the sky. When I’m buried in work and stress and the confusion of a million details, I often go out in our backyard and stand under the trees and look up at the sky. I feel the oppression of the daily grind melt away as I breathe and stretch and revel in the limitlessness of the heavens. more

I ran across a recording of the prayer, Ana B'Koach, set to music and sung by a Jewish cantor named Shirona. She has included it in a CD of "Judaic Love Songs". When I listened to the clip from Ana B'Koach, I was completely blown away. Her voice is beautiful and the song is beautiful, and the fact that it's a holy prayer makes it even more amazing. more