There is a book that I have recommended and I’ll do it again. It is SQ 21, or Spiritual Quotient 21, by author Cindy Wigglesworth. This book really spoke to me and inspired me; I highly recommend it and would value your response to it. Ms. Wigglesworth defines spiritual quotient as: the ability to behave with wisdom and compassion while maintaining inner and outer peace regardless of the situation and emphasizes the urgent need for development of the SQ if we as human beings are to navigate this complicated and often disconnected world and above all, to experience spiritual health as individuals and communities.
Oftentimes, we react to the issues and problems in our personal lives and in the world with a regression to survival modes—leading to unhealthy behaviors, division, isolation, and personal suffering. As a whole human race, when we regress to survival mode, we fall back to leaders who command and control, create hierarchies, bureaucracies, and corporations, all limited in their effectiveness and certainly not mechanisms for positive and lasting change.
I would argue that part of this is because we have gotten to a point in which we neglect spirituality.
For example, when kids and youth are in school, we are absolutely focused on their retention of knowledge and how to best help students to function intelligently. Furthermore, in general, we “ooh” and “aah” at people who have high IQs.
On the other hand, I have great respect for teachers who really care about their students, but not just their IQ. Good teachers also care about student’s EQ—emotional quotient. How are these children and youth learning and developing emotional intelligence? I am absolutely grateful and inspired by those of you who are teachers and are committed to the emotional intelligence of your students. It is vital. And the EQ leads to the SQ, the Spiritual Quotient.
Spirituality may be an elusive term or concept for you. Let’s attempt to imagine spirituality as the use of the brain, feelings, and experiences, leading to something transcendent. Nearly every faith tradition and philosophy emphasizes this kind of spirituality, teaching that spirituality is the development of understanding of others with kindness and is being in service of something greater. From this core is born beautiful ideas like the so-called “golden rule,” a cross-pollinated value across religions. It starts with: “don’t hurt someone, unless you want to be hurt. Then, it evolves to “love one another as you wish to be loved.” Finally, at its peak, it becomes “love others as I [insert higher power/god] love you.” It is a love of generosity and is reciprocal.
Allow me to share a story. This story is an old one, from India. I’m retelling it in a similar way to Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, an Indian yogi, mystic, and poet. Many years ago, a family in India owned acres of land. The parents who owned the land had two children. When the children were grown, the parents knew it was time to hand over the land to their children. So they did, though they did not split the land in two, rather they promised half of the produce of the land to each of their children—grains and such. Time passed, and the land produced. One of the children got married and had 5 children; the other person did not marry or have any children. Time passed, and one day the person who was married with 5 children thought: my sibling is alone; no children, no partner. Why do I need all this produce, if I am not alone? So one night, the person snuck some grains and produce out of the storehouses and placed it in the sibling’s storehouse. This continued for some time. But then, one evening, the other sibling who was unmarried and had no children, thought: my sibling is married and has 5 children. I live alone. Why do I need all this produce? So the unmarried person snuck some of the produce to the other sibling’s storehouses. This continued for some time—both siblings sneaking grains and produce back and forth without knowledge of what was happening. They were both participating in necessary work, don’t you think? Reverse osmosis. Finally, one evening, when both siblings were sneaking the bags of grains to the other storehouse, they bumped into each other in a certain spot on their property. They both did a doubletake, were surprised, and also embarrassed. They were very embarrassed by being caught in their generosity. Clandestine generosity that caused them discomfort.
So that spot on their land, where they met in the night, was a place they did not return to. Years later, after the two siblings had passed on, the town near their property decided that they wanted to build a temple. Where would they build it? They decided that they would build the temple in the exact spot where the two siblings had met in the night, surprised by their generosity.
So it goes that if we do not create that space within us, we will not build a temple.
Divinity will not be a living reality in our daily life. So we are to create that space within us, to build that temple, reaching out, stepping out of our survival instincts to do something generous and kind, that little something.
This is the idea [and practice] of spirituality, of deep connection, which says: we are DEEPLY connected. Think for a moment about anyone you know or have known who was what you would describe as “deeply spiritual.” What characteristics describe them? I don’t want to speak for you, but for me, the deeply spiritual people I have met were created that space within them and demonstrated love and care.
This leads us to John’s Gospel, with the same reciprocal, spiritual theme of the commandments of God being summed up like this: love God, love yourself, love your neighbor. Done.
In terms of spirituality, John refers to the Spirit of God within us as the “advocate” or “comforter.” It is a spirit of honesty that won’t lie to you or manipulate you; it is a spirit of healing and of love. And this spirit is in you; it is actually part of your makeup.
Jesus, a representation of God’s presence and love, does not leave humanity all alone. The spirit of Jesus, this same spirit of healing and of love, lives—not in a church, not in a religion—but in you. In all of us. When we see love; when we see compassion; when we see acceptance; when we see or experience healing. We see and experience this spirit.
Further, loving Jesus is not a test. It is a not a belief system. Remember that in John’s Gospel, we are looking at the most recent Gospel writing and the most inclusive in terms of audience. There is no exclusivity in John. The idea of loving Jesus is not saying that if you don’t love Jesus you are not loved or you will not have access to God’s love. It is simply an attempt to explain that this type of agape, holistic love is reciprocal. Jesus loves and receives love. God is in Jesus and Jesus is in God. We are in Jesus and we are in God. God is in us. It is not meant to be linear or predictable. It is precisely the opposite. It is spiritual. It is the spirit that lives in that space we open up inside ourselves.
When Jesus says that the disciples “know” the spirit, this [in John’s Gospel] means that they are in relationship. Abiding, being one, and knowing, are all the same thing in John. This is about connection. And this connection is called love. And love is the opposite of fear. Those who are connected to God’s love are connected to each other. And they live out that connection in the world. This gives them meaning. So may all of us create spaces within ourselves, to build temples of compassion, kindness, and reciprocal love. It is vital to our identity and to our world.