The following excerpts are from articles written by students at
The Chaplaincy Institute. Click on the links for the full articles.
“What can I do with my human expression of soul? How can I, in my life, 'unveil life’s holy face to reveal beauty?' ” (From "Finding the Holy Face of God in Our Communities," by Shelby Morales)
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“No matter the name, we are all connected to the Beloved—
all the stars, rocks, tress, animals and beings.
God is within all of us, and we are a part of Spirit—
just as the Divine is within all things.
We are all one, and our connection is all-encompassing
and beyond description.
God is the past, the present and the future, beyond space and time.
The Divine is the never-ending source of all things.”
(From "Personal Reflections on Interfaith Theology," by Beth Johnson)
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“I was born to death.
I cannot escape death.
I was born to life.
I cannot escape life.
Every thing and every one I love and cherish today,
I love and cherish in each shining moment,
knowing we will part tomorrow.”
(From "Blossoming in the Dark," by Rachel Findley)
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“Where we came from is Love, and Love is where we are going. No less so, underneath the dust of the shattered vessel of our universe, the divine spark holds the secret that love is also where we are. For what is infinite is also present—right here and now.” (From "Chesed: 'Unconditional and Unmotivated Lovingkindness'," by Kate Joyce)
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"I give thanks for the existence of this interfaith seminary, for this sacred space that is large enough to encompass connection and joy as well as doubt and fear, a space that allows us to truly explore every corner of ourselves even as we explore the great religious traditions of the world.” (From "Sufism, the Universality of Religion, and the Questioning Mind," by Maria Kivel)
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“I have learned something, gained an insight, caught a glimpse of the divine in almost every one of my spiritual adventures. Each insight has raised my consciousness, raised my awareness, and brought me closer to God. As one of the chapter titles in Teasdale’s The Mystic Heart says, “The Paths are many, but the goal is the same”. Some religious practices may work better for me than others, but I am convinced that no single spiritual tradition has a monopoly on mystical efficacy.” (From "In Search of God, Not a Religion," by Michael Stamper)
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“We can never predict the ways fruit finds us:
Fruit that falls even when we aren't looking
Fruit that falls too soon
Fruit that never falls
Fruit that falls in unknown places,
later discovered to be
perfect in its color and ripeness.”
(From "Falling Fruit," by Susan Shannon)
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“Religion is a double-edged sword. It embodies the deepest, finest aspirations of human beings. But, having been built by human beings, religious structures exist within historical time and embody human flaws. ... Perhaps the questioning is just part of the journey.” (From "Sufism, the Universality of Religion, and the Questioning Mind," by Maria Kivel)
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"I don’t think there is any human emotion that isn’t in the Psalms. It’s all part of the way we walk and talk with the Holy One. We’re welcomed and invited, in our full humanity. And we can create relationships, loving relationships with other people, where our entire human range of emotion, our whole pathos, is welcomed and welcoming." (From "Experiments with Psalms," by Rachel Findley)
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“Hey God—
Where have you been for the last 50 years?
Did you know that secretly
I missed you?
I thought you might have been with me
When I climbed Mt. Tam
And melted into the earth and sky
Both at the same time.
I wouldn't admit it to anyone
But I looked for you.”
(From "Hey God," by Cynthia Clarkson)
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“Religious support for warfare, or the accommodation of religious beliefs to the exigencies of war, has been much more common in history than religiously inspired rejection of war. Even religions that have a strong strand of pacifism have at various times encouraged war.” (From "Religion, Religious Wounding, and War: An Interfaith Inquiry," by Patrick Curtin)
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“Religion is a double-edged sword. It embodies the deepest, finest aspirations of human beings. But, having been built by human beings, religious structures exist within historical time and embody human flaws. ... Perhaps the questioning is just part of the journey. (From "Sufism, the Universality of Religion, and the Questioning Mind," by Maria Kivel)
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“One's spiritual path is much more like a big spiral than a straight line. Sometimes it feels like a circuitous route: two steps forward, one step back. ‘Haven’t I already learned this lesson?’ ‘I can’t believe I’m finding myself here again….’ ‘I thought I had this figured out….’ ‘What happened to me -- just a year ago I was really connected spiritually and now I feel as spiritually flat as a pancake.’ ” (From "Our 'Spiritual Slinkies'," by Susan Wayne)
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“There is so much light and love,
Who cares about
A few jagged edges?
The Divine does not mind
About broken pieces.
Spirit can still shine from within.”
(From "The Broken Mirror and the Divine Ocean," by Judy Mortellaro)
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“Move into the waves.
Let them work in you.
Become sensitive to the currents, eddies, flows.
Flow closer to the Divine—in Joy.”
(From "Divine Time," by Shelby Morales)
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“Dear one, I remind you that you are greater than you think you are. You are infinite and wise and loving… The world needs your light. Your Light is unique, a light that only you have from having faced your own challenges… Own your power, dear one. And bring it out into the world.” (From "Sage of All Creation, Mentor of All Souls," by Elizabeth McCain)
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“May our loved ones continue to enhance our lives through all the impermanence, suffering, and joy of this life.” (From "Falling Fruit," by Susan Shannon)
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“Interfaith is not a religion, but walks among the religions.
There are boundless ways to worship the Source of All.
Full-spectrum spirituality,
The complete range of colors in the Divine’s palate.
‘Your tears run down my cheek as well.
Your suffering pains my heart also.’
I reach for your hand in our common walk
Of transformation, of healing, of Interfaith awakening.
A reclaiming of spiritual imagination,
The next step in human evolution.”
(From " 'What Is Interfaith?' Gleanings from Student Sermons at the Interfaith Module," by The ChI Student Community)