Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy

[Guest guest]

Spiritual practices from all traditions . . . the letters to know to

read the world spiritually and to spell meaning in daily life.

 

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

 

A

 

ATTENTION: Pay attention. Stay awake and totally alert. See with

receptive eyes and discover a world of ceaseless wonders.

 

B

 

BEAUTY: Walk the path of beauty. Relish and encourage its inward and

outward expressions. Acknowledge the radiance of the creation.

 

BEING PRESENT: Live in the present moment. Don't obsess about the

past or worry about the future. All you need is right here now.

 

C

 

COMPASSION: Open your heart, mind, and soul to the pain and suffering

in the world. Reach out to others and discover the rewards and

obligations of deep feeling.

 

CONNECTIONS: Cultivate the art of making connections. See how your

life is intimately related to all life on the planet.

 

D

 

DEVOTION: Express your feelings of praise and adoration through

devotional practices. Pray with words and pray through your actions.

 

E

 

ENTHUSIASM: Celebrate life with this intoxicating passion. It adds

zest to everything and helps build community. Hold nothing back.

 

F

 

FAITH: Recognize and accept that there is another dimension to life

than what is obvious to us. Live with obstacles, doubt, and paradox,

knowing that God is always present in the world.

 

FORGIVENESS: In both your private and public lives, discover the

sweet release that comes from forgiving others. Feel the healing balm

of being forgiven and of forgiving yourself.

 

G

 

GRACE: Accept grace and your world will be larger, deeper, richer,

and fuller. Look for its intimations everywhere. Let this seed of the

Giver of Life bloom in your words and deeds.

 

GRATITUDE: Spell out your days with a grammar of gratitude. Be

thankful for all the blessings in your life.

 

H

 

HOPE: Let this positive and potent emotion fuel your dreams and

support your service of others. Through your attitudes and actions,

encourage others never to lose hope.

 

HOSPITALITY: Practice hospitality in a world where too often

strangers are feared, enemies are hated, and the " other " is shunned.

Welcome guests and alien ideas with graciousness.

 

I

 

IMAGINATION: Give imagination free rein in your life. Explore its

images and ponder its meaning-making moments, and it will always

present you with something new to be seen, felt, or made known.

 

J

 

JOY: Rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Find t his divine energy in

your daily life and share it with others.

 

JUSTICE: Seek liberty and justice for all. Work for a free and fair

world where oppression and inequality no longer exist.

 

K

 

KINDNESS: Let Spirit flow through you in little acts of kindness,

brief words of encouragement, and manifold expressions of courtesy.

These deeds will add to the planet's fund of good will.

 

L

 

LISTENING: Cultivate the art of deep listening in which you lean

toward the world in love. All things in the universe want to be

heard, as do the many voices inside us.

 

LOVE: Fall in love over and over again every day. Love your family,

your neighbors, your enemies, and yourself. And don't stop with

humans. Love animals, plants, stones, even the galaxies.

 

M

 

MEANING: Constantly try to discover the significance of your

experiences. Seek further understandings from sacred texts and

spiritual teachers.

 

N

 

NURTURING: Take good care of the best that is within you. Self-

exploration and personal growth continue throughout our lifetimes and

equip us to tend to the needs of others.

 

O

 

OPENNESS: Hold an open house in your heart for all people and all

things. Practice empathy with others and receptiveness toward the

universe.

 

P

 

PEACE: Protect the earth's future by promoting peace every day. Your

small steps will link you with others who are combating violence in

the world.

 

PLAY: Be playful. Express your creative spirit in spontaneity. Hurrah

the pleasures of being, and let loose your laughter.

 

Q

 

QUESTING: Savor questions and thrill to the quest. See your life as a

journey that quickens your faith and deepens your soul.

 

R

 

REVERENCE: Practice reverence for life. The sacred is in, with, and

under all the things of the world. Respond with appropriate respect

and awe.

 

S

 

SHADOW: Give up trying to hide, deny, or escape from your

imperfections. Listen to what your demons have to say to you.

 

SILENCE: Slow down. Be calm. Find a place where you can regularly

practice silence. There you will find the resources to revitalize

your body, mind, and soul.

 

T

 

TEACHERS: Be willing to learn from the spiritual teachers all around

you, however unlikely or unlike you they may be. Always be a

sensitive student.

 

TRANSFORMATION: Welcome the positive changes that are taking place in

your life. Open up the windows and let in some fresh air. Wholeness

and healing are waiting in the wings.

 

U

 

UNITY: In this age of global spirituality, respect differences but

affirm commonalities. Work together with those who are trying to make

the world a better place.

 

V

 

VISION: Practice the art of seeing the invisible. Use the wisdom of

your personal visions to renew yourself and your community.

 

W

 

WONDER: Cultivate a vibrant curiosity and welcome the reports of your

senses. The world is alive and moving toward you with rare epiphanies

and wonderful surprises. Remember you are standing on holy ground.

 

X

 

X - THE MYSTERY: Accept the unknown as part of life. Don't try to

unravel the profound mysteries of God, human nature, and the natural

world. Love the ineffable.

 

Y

 

YEARNING: Follow your heart's boundless desire. It takes you out of

yourself and fosters an appreciation for the multidimensional

pleasures of life.

 

YOU: Accept that you are a child of God. Sing your own song with

gusto. Fulfill your mission as a copartner with the Holy One in the

unfolding drama of the universe.

 

Z

 

ZEAL: Be passionately aroused by life. Cherish every moment, honor

your commitments, and treasure your kinship with all.