Psalms see us through personal and collective crises
Imagine living through two years of almost constant death threats because of who you love. How do you make it through? From where do you find your strength? When Bishop Gene Robinson opened up to us on the Sofa about his sexual identity and the threats on his life, he taught us that Psalm 27 saved his life. “The ETERNAL is my light and my help; whom should I fear? The ETERNAL is the stronghold of my life, whom should I dread?” His confidence about God being on one side and those who hate him on the other, reminds us that we need a spiritual tool kit. And then when Rabbi Dr. Andrea Weiss reflected on the current state of politics and civic uncivil discourse in our country, she quoted the same Psalm 27. “Look to the ETERNAL; be strong and of good courage! O look to the ETERNAL!” From Bishop Robinson’s leaning on the first verse of the Psalm in the face of personal crisis to Rabbi Weiss leaning on the last verse of the same Psalm at a time of communal crisis, each one of us has hope to find our voices resonating through their spiritual perspectives.
This is Sofa Spirituality: Relevant and accessible spirituality shared by all of us no matter our individual faith traditions.
 

Giving Up’ on religion – Not what you think!
‘Spiritual Gymnastics’ is a phrase that rolled so smoothly off the lips of Imam Abdullah Antepli when he started talking about Islamic Ramadan fasting. He obviously gave this forethought as he related it to fasting on Jewish Yom Kippur and giving up items for Christian Lent. Like his counterpart, Rev. Eric McIntosh of the Episcopalian Church who spoke about Lent as repairing our internal dwellings and external streets, Imam Antepli taught us that there are times when we need to give up something for a greater good. And then we can learn the same from Chief Abbot Bhante Pemaratana as he describes the flower offerings that find their way back to Buddha. Pastor Chris Griffin reminds us through his Evangelical faith that all these gymnastics can pay off when you fast for breakthrough.

his is Sofa Spirituality: Affirming the particularities of our diverse faith traditions while giving us permission to see the foundational universality of spiritual life.