Greetings from the Editor
Dear Friends,
Among our many blessings, we can count the presence of our spiritual leaders and mentors who are always ready to take us through the beautiful world of prayers and meditations. Today, we can locate and seek out these guides among the lay and clergy, in retreats and streets, in schools, and in various places of worship. In a world where plenteous misleading counsels tempt us to base our finite existence on material needs and wants, our authors challenge us to dare to envision the possibilities of a transformation of life that can be witnessed within and around us.
Our authors who expound on the world of spiritual poverty may remind us of the poem by T. S. Eliot, “The Waste Land,” whose famous first lines have both amused and puzzled us. The poet muses, “April is the cruelest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing / Memory and desire, stirring, / Dull roots with spring rain.” School children dismissed to the library to write a report on this poem, return to share that what initially sounded so clever was actually not so clear once they sought to explain what it was that made the early spring month so unbearable. Whereas, earlier literary critics focused on the desperate hope of the spring that the bleak winter seemed persistent to dash, modern readers often allude to the capacity of the acute sense that awakens and feels the pain of new life soon to bloom.
This issue’s offerings also remind us that the pursuit of spiritual awakening shall not be confined to individual realms. We recall the days when spirituality was at times proffered as a way to enrich one’s own inner being. Contemporary writings on the subject matter have weaned away from the privatistic preoccupation of personal piety. Today we recognize the social dimension of our quest. A truly spiritual person embraces the responsibilities for the world where peace and justice thrive. The ancient prophet Isaiah spoke of it when he said, “Is not this the fast I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke” (Isa. 58:6).
We will find the spiritual quest of the faithful bearing fruit through the shared ministry that promotes the pursuit of honoring God. A cloud of companions is featured under the cover of this issue, ranging from the biblical psalmist to medieval and modern theologians. I trust that in receiving this collection of wisdom on spirituality, our readers are in for a treat thanks to our authors who have spread the blessings of heaven broken into down-to-earth morsels.
Peace,
Jin H. Han
Editor-in-Chief
