Ashoka
Where can seekers find community outside of organized religion?
"The Nearness, launched last fall by Casper ter Kuile and Alec Gewirtz, aims to bring together people of all religious and nonreligious backgrounds as they nurture and define what spirituality looks like for themselves outside of traditional religious institutions." "There is guidance from spiritual teachers of various traditions as well as prompts for reflecting, asking questions, finding connection and experimenting with new practices and rituals." "While many people may have left traditional worship spaces, their desire for connection — with themselves, with each other, with a sense of something bigger — continues, he said."
Ashoka insight
Casper ter Kuile and Alec Gewirtz have built a container where spiritually-diverse people can make meaning of life together. The Nearness is rooted in the joy of deep connection and it is a great example of how spiritual exploration can be nurtured by a diverse but like-hearted community.
In this kind of community design, everyone's voice is valued and we can witness each other being alive.
Questions to deepen the reflection:
How else might technology enable new ways of spiritual belonging?
What else can I do to ensure that my community sees difference/diversity as valuable and needed?