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Stillness is the altar of Spirit. Where motion ceases, Spirit begins to manifest. —Paramahansa Yogananda

Whether transitioning from a noisy and difficult year or traversing an ordinary day, finding moments of silence provide a way to dip below the cacophony within and around us into something more enduring, divine even. As we begin 2021, it’s worth reminding ourselves of the importance and power of stepping away from our screens, our to-do lists, the news, and other attention grabbers.

As we close out a year that has cracked many of us open, we offer a lovely practice designed by Kay Klinkenborg, spiritual director, retired RN, and LMFT: making a comfort basket. By harvesting items and memories that provide refuge in difficult times, this is a gift we can give ourselves.

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.   —Coretta Scott King

Home is where the heart is. It’s a cliché but it also holds a lot of truth. For John Fetzer, Kalamazoo was home for most of his life. It is where he built his business, put down roots, and ultimately created the Institute that bears his name and advances his legacy. It is in this spirit that we are honored and excited to be turning our attention to our own backyard of Southwest Michigan. 

I was listening to a podcast recently, and a guest on the show spoke about the theory of “tending and befriending.”During the stress response, our bodies engage in fight or flight. This ancient tactic for survival allowed us to hide in places from predators and stand up to them when our safety was at risk. But more recent research has pointed to the possibility that the response is more complex. Our bodies do respond in fight or flight, but in some scenarios, they respond by tending and befriending.

Spirituality compels people to engage in action and activities tied to creating a better nation and world—and helps sustain action.
—Rev. Adam Russel Taylor, Executive Director, Sojourners and “What Does Spirituality Mean to Us?” advisor

This month, our partner Spirituality & Practice launches a wonderful new resource: Practicing Democracy Conversation Cards. This set of 52 cards includes quotes from a broad spectrum of national leaders, both historical and contemporary. The cards are designed to encourage reflection, conversation, and action.

Your sacred space is where you find yourself again and again. —Joseph Campbell

As we cope with the difficulties, the losses, and uncertainties of this time, visiting a sacred space or place can be a refuge, a reminder to take a deep breath, to re-center ourselves, to pray, to meditate, or to engage in meaningful ritual.

Earlier this year, our partners at NORC at the University of Chicago shared with us that they’d received the last of the 3,600 responses to our national survey on spirituality and civic life. With excitement and anticipation, we and our partners at Hattaway Communications, our advisors, and reviewers dug into the data, looking for the nuance of what it means to be and feel spiritual today. 

Groundbreaking new research from our partner, Interfaith Youth Core (now Interfaith America), finds that a high level of trust and goodwill—despite deep differences—emerges when college students have positive and provocative encounters.

Pilgrimage: a visit to a place that is considered special, where you go to show your respect —Cambridge.org