I have a question for you. How spiritual do you consider yourself? A lot? a little bit? Not at all?
NORC (National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago, one of America’s major public research institutions, recently asked this question in a large study sponsored by the Fetzer Institute.
They discovered something that knocked my socks off. 86% of Americans said they identify as at least somewhat spiritual. I don’t know about you, but this is a much higher number than I expected.
One of the really great things about this study is that it doesn’t spend time defining what spirituality means, it just focuses on what kind of relationship people have with spirituality, what spirituality means to them. What that means is that you spent more time thinking about it.
They asked people to draw pictures of spirituality. They asked for words related to people’s spirituality. And what I found again and again is that for most people, spirituality is fundamentally an experience of connection with oneself, with others, with the natural world, with a higher power.
There is something about spirituality that helps people move from focusing on “me” and “I” to “us” and “we.” That reality is reflected in the research findings that intrigue me the most. The idea is that people who identify as spiritual are much more likely to participate in civic life.
This suggests that people who feel more connected to things and people beyond themselves ultimately become more involved in the life of their community.
In the Torah portion of Thelma, we reach a part of the Torah that feels a little boring, a series of Torah portions that last several weeks.it’s all about buildings MishkanA mobile temple to God built by the Israelites in the wilderness.
Chapter by chapter, we learn in rather painstaking detail about its dimensions, all the objects in it, the materials used to make them, and the clothing of the priests who offer sacrifices in it.
As I read these Torah portions as a child (and, let’s be honest, even now as an adult), I am sometimes reminded of what the little boy said to his grandfather at the beginning. “Princess Bride”: “It doesn’t seem that bad…I’ll try my best to stay awake.”
But what I’ve learned over the years is that these long sections of the Torah are actually deep lessons about spirituality, connection, and community. why? Because, as you can see at the beginning of Thelma, Mishkan According to the Law, this church is to be built from the contributions and work of those who have a heart of desire to contribute.
It was not created by imposing taxes, confiscating property, or enslaving people to build it. It is a voluntary effort made by people who feel a sense of connection and inspiration. It is very important, as we will read in the upcoming Torah portion. , Moses must tell them to stop bringing too much!
And this whole project is made up of some of the most beautiful and important passages in the Torah. God says to Moses, “Build me a house, so that I may dwell among them.”
Leaders of the Hasidic tradition pick up on this phrase and point out that God does not want us to live in buildings; theypeople in their hearts, our heart.
build Mishkan It is the work of creating a home for God, the Creator, the life force of the universe, whatever you want to call it.
It is not just a job or privilege of the generation of the Exodus from Egypt. It is our job and our privilege. As Fetzer Institute research reminds us, home is not in a building, but in our own hearts, minds, and spirits.
Every time we cultivate an awareness of our interconnectedness, we feel that we are building or manifesting a home for the Divine.
My day job is as president and CEO of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, which is one of the co-producers of this podcast. That’s why people often ask me, “What exactly is spirituality?”
The answer I found and liked the most is that spirituality is our ability to truly feel at home in the world. When we experience a deep sense of interconnectedness with ourselves, our loved ones, other humans, the natural world, and the oneness that exists within and outside of ourselves, it is our spiritual I think it’s about changing the reality.
What I would like to suggest is that Mishkan As we create a home for the infinite unity of life and the universe.
Usually, this is the part of the show where I suggest practicing mindfulness. But the truth is, there isn’t a single practice I want to teach this week. Because all the practices that we explore together in this podcast are practices of this teaching.
Instead, I would like to encourage you to choose one practice that you would like to deepen a little bit this week. It could be meditation, creating an intention or focused phrase for the week, or a journaling exercise.
Listen to previous episodes and try one of the practices I previously taught. But most fundamentally, what do I want you to do? And it is important that you are not required, but invited. Otherwise, in fact, Mishkan — Make sure you find at least one moment each day where you can slow down and focus on the reality of who you are. Connected: Your body and mind, the physical location you are in, the friends and loved ones in your life, the natural world, something bigger than what appears on the surface.
Be aware of it, hold onto it, and get caught up in it. In doing so, you are creating a home for a greater being. And you may find yourself mentally at home as well.
Blessings on your journey. Please know that I’m working on this with you too.
