/morsl/taxonomy/term/129/all en /morsl/article/what-do-you-see <p>What do you see when you look at my face? Loneliness, isolation, seclusion? What do you see when you look in my eyes? Dejection, desperation, dreariness? I am a Muslim woman, after all. I am both visible and invisible to people around me. They cannot see me, yet they know that I am a living being, breathing and walking beneath my veil.</p> Wed, 27 Nov 2024 16:07:46 +0000 Afifa Naz 2877 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/do-mitz-wha <p>There is a lot of talk about mitzvos in Judaism. So what are they and what do they mean to me? The word mitzvah has been interpreted in a number of ways. Sometimes it means a commandment. Often it is considered simply a good deed or an act of kindness. But we can derive a deeper understanding by looking at the Hebrew rot, <i>L ‘tzavot</i>, which when translated means ‘to connect.’ G-d gave us mitzvos as a way of connecting to Him.</p> Mon, 25 Nov 2024 20:57:10 +0000 Sarede Switzer 2876 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/lesson-heretic-2024-film <p>Recently, I went to see the film <em>Heretic</em>. I was curious about what it would portray about religious thinking, and I wasn’t disappointed. I won’t spoil the plot of the movie here, but I will discuss some of the arguments made during the beginning and middle of the film.</p> <p>The antagonist Mr. Reed (played by Hugh Grant) tries to dismantle the faith of two university-student-aged missionaries who come proselyting at his door.</p> Tue, 19 Nov 2024 19:43:27 +0000 Candice Wendt 2874 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/significant-act <p>The idea of transcendence often brings to mind something other-worldly, or beyond our normal sensory range. It is a concept that has developed in many spiritual traditions. Dictionaries remind us of where the word comes from: the prefix trans-from the Latin verb "to cross", or simply meaning "across", and -scend, from the Latin verb "to rise or climb," also the root of the English ascend. So, when we put the two together, we get something like "to climb across." This makes me think that transcendence is perhaps more earthly than we normally suppose.</p> Mon, 18 Nov 2024 20:27:04 +0000 Loren R. Carle 2873 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/confessions-bi-spiritual <p>Our society is sometimes fixated on demarcating the boundaries of identity. Anyone with a dual or multiple identity can testify to this, including those who are mixed-race, or who do not conform to a binary gender structure. What about people who are bi-spiritual, those who feel equally at home in two or more spiritual communities? Most, if not all, of the contributions to <i>Radix Magazine</i> are written from the perspective of one faith tradition.</p> Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:43:41 +0000 Kathryn Lum 2871 at /morsl /morsl/article/meditation-spiritual-wellness/neuroscience-prayer-and-journaling <p>What can we do to find relief when we feel anxious, threatened, or stuck in patterns of low moods or spiraling thoughts? Whether this is caused by unpleasant interactions on social media, the burdens of schoolwork, or worrying about the future, journaling and prayer can both help according to happiness researcher and expert Arthur Brooks. He shared his thoughts on a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ifnhTZLpllBAjQwK0SKvs?si=rtwYtU8hTHWq_YdioAAEmA&nd=1&dlsi=4d608c2581584245">recent podcast episode</a> (listen at 32:09 for thoughts on anxiety, journaling, and prayer).</p> Wed, 06 Nov 2024 21:05:27 +0000 Candice Wendt 2865 at /morsl /morsl/article/meditation-spiritual-wellness/akida <p>When I was little, I was an idealist, and my dream was world peace. Then I entered adolescence and became convinced, to my great dismay, that things had already gone so wrong in the world that my dream could never by anything more than simply a dream, and that in fact, our world was destined for ruin. I see things differently now, and my idea of the world has been informed by my experience of it; I’m no longer much of an idealist, nor am I a pessimist.</p> Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:53:51 +0000 Erica Crawford 2864 at /morsl /morsl/article/holidays-and-holy-days-spiritual-wellness/spooky-stories-and-spirituality <p>Why are we drawn to spooky stories? Is this related to spirituality? I’ve been thinking about these questions this October as I discovered and became hooked on the podcast <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT">“Spooked.”</a></p> <p>I’ve found that there are ways these stories intrigue and benefit me, even spiritually.</p> Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:00:17 +0000 Candice Wendt 2861 at /morsl /morsl/article/spiritual-wellness/recognizing-sacred-our-day <p>Our fast-paced lives can leave little time for reflection. Yet moments of calm reflection help us appreciate the many blessings of life. As the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins once wrote, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” But often we are too busy to notice this. Every day - and each moment of every day - the sacred tries to communicate its beauty, truth and wisdom but we can miss it if we are too busy or distracted. It’s like being on a bus driving through a beautiful countryside - with the curtains closed. </p> Thu, 24 Oct 2024 17:56:11 +0000 Dr. John Meehan 2859 at /morsl /morsl/article/ecospirituality-interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/being-sikh-being-green <p>Ten years ago (in 2006), Sikh communities around the world celebrated the inauguration of the Cycle of Creation. The three-hundred-year long cycle will be a time for Sikhs to reflect upon and celebrate their relationship with the environment and all that Waheguru has provided. The past ten years have borne witness to remarkable steps taken by Sikhs around the globe. Sikhs are leaders in practicing organic and natural farming, building support for recycling programs, and targeting the socio-economic roots that plague the systemic nature of environmental injustice, among other things.</p> Tue, 22 Oct 2024 19:01:54 +0000 Juss Kaur 2857 at /morsl /morsl/article/making-connection <p>Searching for peace. This is not the first time, I am sure, that you have heard this phrase. We are all searching for peace: inner peace, world peace, peace with our past, and especially, peace with the things that we cannot change and must accept. One of the purposes of faith is to seek inner peace, a feeling of serenity and completeness that we all long for. Seeking this peace and trying out spiritual practices does not require being religious. There are diverse ways to be spiritual and to search for peace and hope.</p> Mon, 07 Oct 2024 19:33:16 +0000 Reena Kaur Baweja 2852 at /morsl /morsl/article/spiritual-wellness/learning-love-volunteering <p>In my mid-twenties, volunteer work was anathema to me. I was a graduate student, then a new parent, stretched thin while my spouse completed a PhD at the University of Michigan. I couldn't imagine my life ever having the space to give freely of my time again. Parenting toddlers demanded constant giving, and I felt very possessive of any free time I could claim!</p> Tue, 01 Oct 2024 19:09:02 +0000 candice.wendt@mcgill.ca 2846 at /morsl /morsl/article/ecospirituality-spiritual-wellness/ultimate-saint <p>Last weekend I went to the woods. I left the city for a place where there are more trees than cars, and I came back feeling renewed. Something about being surrounded by nature fills me up so that I have more to give to others. As I walked alone through a whispering forest, I was reminded of all the millions of people who cam before me, who lived off the land and knew how to survive with nature, and I felt at peace.</p> Fri, 30 Aug 2024 18:13:33 +0000 Carolyn Ross 2797 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/awakening-fusion <p>In Jewish traditions, religion and artistic creativity are complimentary forms of spiritual enrichment. They both serve a similar purpose, which is to attach the self to G_d as manifested in human experience. Creation is a manifestation of G_dliness. “In the beginning G_d created” (Genesis 1:1). When human beings create, we experience awe and shame. We are in awe of G_d when we realize the amount of thought and energy it takes to create something from something else. Imagine creating something from nothing—it’s beyond human comprehension.</p> Fri, 30 Aug 2024 18:10:53 +0000 Ariella 2796 at /morsl /morsl/article/interfaith-dialogue-spiritual-wellness/increase-peace <p>The day I was invited to write this article, I entered a washroom in the MacDonald-Harrington building. On the door of my stall was scrawled, “increase the peace.” I could not agree more, but the anonymous author left no more suggestions than does our culture on how to go about increasing peace. Thank goodness Jesus is not so vague! “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it unto you. Do not let your hearts by troubled or afraid” (Luke 14:27). Now there is a message that I can understand! How comforting! Jesus gives us peace. He is perfect peace.</p> Fri, 30 Aug 2024 18:09:01 +0000 Emily Bessette 2795 at /morsl