Meditations
Evolving inner life inspires engaged moral life
June 7, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 8. Islam, like Christianity, teaches that an authentic spirituality dictates a person’s way of being in the world. A sincere relationship with the Divine manifests itself in the way an individual relates to others.
The Blossoming of Faith
June 1, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 7. We have been exploring from a contemplative perspective, Islam’s three principles: surrender, faith and moral virtue. These shine like radiant beacons for those on a journey. Today our focus is on the second principle: faith.
Surrendering to God: “Two Can Not Live in One Heart”
May 24, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 6. The theme of surrendering your very being to God is prevalent in the three Abrahamic faiths including Islam. In fact, the word “Islam” means to “surrender in peace.” A Muslim is instructed to leave behind the “little self” in exchange for union with the “higher self.”
Ushering in the Fullness of Our Being and Dismantling the False Self
May 17, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 5. Christian spiritual masters often speak of the need to dismantle our false self to reveal our true self, or what Meister Eckhart described “the living presence of God’s image implanted in the soul.” Islamic texts discuss this same idea.
Three steps on the journey to meeting the Divine
May 10, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 4. The Qur’an teaches that God is closer to us than our jugular vein. Why, then, do we feel separated from God? Today we talk about the first three steps in the journey to an intimate meeting with the Divine.
The Indwelling Spirit of God: A Living Reality
May 3, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 3. We continue our study of the contemplative spirit of Islam. By exploring how others experience the Divine, our view of God expands. This opens us to the possibility of experiencing a fruitful transformation of the heart.
Remembering the Kiss: The Journey Home
April 26, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 2. Spiritual teachers of many faith traditions describe the innate desire for union (or re-union) with the Divine Creator as “remembering the kiss.” Islam calls this awakening tauba, translated as “turning to God.”
An Introduction to the Contemplative Spirit of Islam
April 19, 2021
Part 1. This week we embark on a new journey within our Contemplative Living series. We will begin an exploration into the many ways that Islam fosters the contemplative walk.
Spiritual Treasures Along the Contemplative Path
April 12, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Imagine a lush garden: blooms of every color, each blossom breath-taking, but the melding of stunning colors creates the ambience of paradise. So too the multiplicity of faith traditions: each experiences the divine in unique and meaningful ways, but collectively they form a brilliant tapestry that speaks of the many ways people have sought and found God.
A Look at Suffering from a Buddhist and Christian Perspective
April 7, 2021
By Kathy Keary
Part 14. Christian mystics tell us that the human heart, designed to seek intimacy with the Divine, is restless until it finds that union. Buddhists describe this restlessness as dukkha, or suffering. The two traditions have much to teach each other about suffering.