Feasting and the Spiritual Smorgasbord

I am amazed at the wealth of spiritual riches we have access to in this world right now. For those who have computers, a few ticks of the keyboard and everything is available, from the holy scriptures of every faith imaginable to commentaries and channelings and online workshops and inspirational art and music. There is no lack of teachers for those who seek.

For those without computers, there are bookshops and libraries. Who hasn't delighted in spending hours browsing the latest information available in print?

And for those who don't get out much, there are neighbors and acquaintances with ears and eyes and mouths and curiosity, eager to relate their latest unusual experience or recount what they've heard from other sources.

I'm not speaking of the "there's only one way, and I've got it" mentality. I'm speaking of the spiritual smorgasbord mentality. A smorgasbord (literally "sandwich table") is a table spread with every fabulous element helpful in crafting the most delicious sandwich your taste buds can imagine. Each of us chooses what kind of bread to use as our foundation. Each of us chooses the spread. Then the layering of meats, cheeses, and vegetables, and then the addition of the condiments. We satisfyingly place the upper crust over our stack of delights and raise it to our mouths in anticipation.

We do the same thing spiritually. We look at the foundations available and we taste them to see which has the flavor we're seeking. We look at the spreads. Are we seeking something reassuringly plain right now or are we adventuring into something spicy we haven't tried before? And then the layering of tempting beliefs. What makes sense to us? What, out of all that we're come across so far, feels right and coherent to us in our current belief system? What can we live with, and choose as our challenge for day-to-day living? And then the condiments. What are we going to apply to our life to add that extra zing to our every moment of experience to raise it above the ordinary?

Every day, we have our self-built spiritual sandwich in hand, raising it to our mouths to feed on and be nourished by, to savor, and lick our lips over, and tell other people about.

Um, um, ummm.

Love from Zing