The Ten Most Read Articles of 2022: Interspirituality for the Modern Day Seeker

January 6, 2023 By Gudjon Bergmann

Humanity, interfaith ministry, beliefs, integral theory, moments of peace, Christianity and Buddhism, faith definitions, trans-rational spirituality, and thoughts about God. Those were some of the topics broached in my ten most-read articles of 2022. Below you will find a quick summary of each and links to the original articles. 10. A Trans-Rational Approach to Spirituality In this article from 2018, I explain the pre/trans fallacy and how people can transcend and include rationality when they approach the topic of spirituality.... Read more

My Interspiritual Compass

December 29, 2022 By Gudjon Bergmann

Twenty-five years into my journey, I am still on the unbeaten path, the seeker I’ve always been. Compared with the early days of my journey, the biggest difference is that I now have a compass that allows me to explore without becoming lost or confused. I can walk the sturdy trails of religion or roam around in dense spiritual jungles without losing my bearings. All it takes is one look at my compass, and I immediately evoke all the fundamentals... Read more

Three Proven Ways to Increase Empathy

December 26, 2022 By Gudjon Bergmann

Empathy can be described as the ability to expand consciousness and put oneself in other people’s shoes, seeing things from their perspective and even experiencing them on a similar emotional and mental level without getting caught up in the drama. Empathy is the hallmark of a loving, heartfelt and ethical interspiritual seeker. Conscious Practice Empathy needs to be consciously practiced in order to become a primary mode of interacting with the world. It’s easy to misunderstand, judge, predetermine and be... Read more

Interfaith Quotes about Belief, Prayer and Seeking

December 23, 2022 By Gudjon Bergmann

Belief, prayer and exploration are found in all of the world’s great wisdom traditions. Contemplate the following perspectives you look inward during the holiday season. Good Craftmanship The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship. Martin Luther (1483-1546) German Professor of Theology (Lutheranism) Befriend Thy Enemy It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who... Read more

What Stoicism, Karma Yoga and the Serenity Prayer Agree On

December 19, 2022 By Gudjon Bergmann

In short, Karma Yoga, Stoicism and the Serenity Prayer agree that we should focus on the few things we can control and let go of the rest. Here’s how each of them approaches the topic. The Rebirth of Stoicism To the casual observer, Stoicism experienced a form of rebirth during Covid. Upon investigation, that is a natural response. In difficult times, the attitude prescribed by this ancient Greek-Roman philosophy is helpful. Think of the originators. Zeno of Citium founded the... Read more

Interfaith Quotes About God

December 16, 2022 By Gudjon Bergmann

God is the great unknown, the ultimate mystery. Spiritual maturity asks that we set aside certainty and learn to hold opposing thoughts in our minds for contemplation rather than taking the easy route of accepting or rejecting ideas without investigation. Keep an open mind as you read the following. Human Limitations O Lord, forgive three sins that are due to my human limitations. Thou art everywhere, but I worship you here; thou art without form, but I worship you in these... Read more

All or Nothing Thinking May Be Limiting Your Interspiritual Journey

December 12, 2022 By Gudjon Bergmann

One of the many wise things that Yogi Shanti Desai, my teacher and mentor for over twenty years, said to me is this: “It is easy to accept or reject. Thinking on your own is hard.” Accept or Reject Think about it. That’s what most of us do. We either accept or reject. I like this. I don’t like that. I agree with this person. I disagree with the other person. I accept my way of living. I reject your... Read more

Faith: Beyond Reason

December 9, 2022 By Gudjon Bergmann

“Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.” M. de Voltaire (1694-1778) French Writer, Historian and Philosopher In my mind, this quote is widely misunderstood and often used to portray reason as limiting, something we should abandon on our faith journey. As I read it, however, the quote is consistent with my belief that reason should be exhausted before we resort to faith. Intellect and the Spiritual Search In the mid-nineties, I started frequenting... Read more

Why I Decided to Become an Interfaith Minister and What I Learned in the Process

December 6, 2022 By Gudjon Bergmann

“We believe in taking down the barriers, but we also believe in the most energetic reconciliation among peoples by getting them to know each other, talk each other’s languages, understand each other’s fears and beliefs, getting to know each other physically, philosophically, and spiritually.” Betty Williams (1943) Irish Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 Had I stayed in Iceland, I would never have become an Interfaith Minister. I would not have had to rub up against religion in... Read more