The word ‘spirit’ is most likely derived from the Latin spiritus, meaning “breathing” or “breath” and also the “breath of life,” as in the force that animates people; the force that gives them life.
April is rich with spiritual and religious celebrations across various traditions and cultures. Easter, Passover, First Nations Spring Ceremonies, Semana Santa, Vaisakhi, Inti Raymi de Abril, Walpurgis Night, Orthodox Easter, Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Chakri Day, Torres Strait Islander Coming of the Light Festival, and Hanuman Jayanti, just to name a few from each continent.
In our travels, we have seen and felt “the breath of life,” as in the force that gives life, and we have been reverent observers of sacred spaces and practices of many faiths. Witnessing the breath and spirit of another culture and practice has shifted who we are in the world and what forces awaken us and give us expanded hope and understanding.
Here are just 10 examples from our experiences moving through the world and its spiritual landscape over the past 10+ years:
Semana Santa or Holy Week is a powerful advent regardless of religious
orientation. We found we had more questions than answers, witnessing these
processions. What is the significance of the person hooded in black leading the
procession? Why are the townspeople hanging tapestries from their windows? What
does the path of herbs and flowers signify? We followed the villagers down and up the
cobbled streets in our quest for answers and in the SPIRIT of their faith.
Balinese Funeral Procession
One of the most distinctive spiritual experiences we found ourselves in the middle of was a Balinese mourning procession called “ngaben” (cremation ceremony). In Bali, it’s a colorful and joyous celebration of the deceased’s journey to the afterlife. The elaborate process involves a towering, intricately crafted cremation tower called a “wadah” or “bade,” which is carried in a grand procession accompanied by
lively music and dance. Balinese Hindus believe that a proper send-off, filled with
laughter and music, helps the soul to detach from the earthly realm more easily.
Christchurch, New Zealand’s Cardboard Cathedral
In 2010 and 2011, two major earthquakes and their aftershocks decimated the city of Christchurch. After the disaster, the population dropped by 2.4% and was a marked switch for the city, which had an annual pre-quake population growth of 1%. The Cardboard Cathedral was designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban as a temporary replacement to provide a space for worship and community gathering during this unimaginable decimation of the city. The structure features 98 large cardboard tubes, wood, and steel, with a roof of translucent polycarbonate. The use of cardboard, a humble material, is symbolic of resilience, hope, and the city’s SPIRIT of rebuilding after the earthquake.
Buddhist Shrines and Temples in Thailand
During the months we lived in Thailand, we visited many Buddhist temples and shrines. Our favorites were not necessarily the big attractions but rather the local home and neighborhood shrines where the SPIRIT of worshipers’ faith was accessible for us to experience. Several times a day, we would encounter chanting, bowing, offerings, and meditation. We were taught to point our feet away from Buddha statues, and that women should never hand anything directly to a monk, and to cover our shoulders and knees. Mostly, we learned that the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path are a daily example of how SPIRIT breathes life into Thai Buddhists.
Ashram Orphanage in Indonesia
There are many people we love unconditionally, but there are only a few places in the world where we have felt unconditional love envelop us. The most loving ground we have ever stepped foot on was the Ananda Kurjana Ashram and Orphanage in Indonesia. It is a place that exists because love grows out of love, and transforms living things who cross its path into a greater, wider capacity for love. This Children’s Home, where we taught English, houses 30 children ages 6-18 and is run by a monk called Dada, who is an exquisite teacher and spiritual leader.
Pilgrims: Santiago de Compostela
We have met pilgrims all over the world. The SPIRIT of their walks is palpable, and conversations with them are always enlightening. We have met people recovering from terminal illnesses, people who have escaped religious persecution, lost a loved one, or are looking for a new direction. We have walked in their footsteps for miles at a time on various continents and learned so much about faith along the way. As we approached the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, we were moved to tears. It is a magical place where pilgrims from all over the world celebrate their journey.
Mosques in Singapore
It was so hot when we were in Singapore, so we would do a lot of our exploring early in the morning and late in the evening. We always took a path that led us past the Sultan Mosque in the Kampong Glam neighborhood. We would naturally slow to a stop on the sidewalk to listen to the Muslim prayers. This national mosque is for worship, community, education, and a monument to history. The sun rising and setting on the gold domes of the mosque is one of our most vivid memories.
The Vatican, Rome
In 2025, Rome expects 30 million people to make pilgrimages to Vatican City during this Jubilee Year. The opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica was on Christmas Eve, marking the start of a special time for grace and spiritual renewal. We visited the Vatican on a rainy day when the kids were little and spent all day exploring side chapels, lighting candles for loved ones, and craning our necks in awe of the Sistine Chapel, only to exit into the blinding sun.
Daily Offerings by Hindus
Eighty-four percent of Balinese practice Hinduism, and Canang Sari is one of the offerings made by Balinese Hindus to give thanks every day. These offerings are composed of fragrant flowers and petals, with added frangipani incense and other well-placed trinkets and coins. No matter what they are composed of, Canang Sari is a miniature work of art that transcends its small stature and placement on the crowded, pocked, sticky sidewalks in parts of Indonesia. The placement of everything in this gratitude ritual is deliberate and mirrors the feelings and purpose of the one creating the offering. It is a complex creation that tells an eternal story and yet speaks to the impermanence of our existence, as the offerings are swept away every evening. The next day, it starts again with a prayer for balance and peace.
During our visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial, we felt the SPIRIT of the teachings and demonstrations deeply. We learned about respect for the Great Spirit (Wakan Tanka), the Vision Quest, the sacred nature of the land, and heard prayers read in native tongues. We were told by Sitting Bull’s grandson that during the 14th Century, there were 60 million North American Indians, and today there are only one million. Our children made dream catchers, watched Native American dancing demonstrations, and sat in awe of the largest mountain carving in the world with tummies full of Tatanka stew. Hours passed, and we could not pull ourselves away. We were read a prayer upon leaving with the Lakota Phrase: Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ (Mee-tah-koo-yay O-yah-seen) meaning ‘all my relatives,’ ‘we are all related,’ or ‘all my relations.’ It is a prayer of oneness and harmony with all forms of life: other people, animals, birds, insects, trees and plants, and even rocks, rivers, mountains, and valleys.
After every spiritual space in time and place we experienced, we realized maybe having more questions than answers is central to the faith of any kind, for what is there to believe in without a willing and curious heart?
SPIRIT is also something that has caused wars and threatened populations and borders. It has created pilgrims and extremists, holy leaders and tyrants. It is powerful and something to be studied and nurtured in a way that supports a loving and compassionate present and future through an understanding of the past.
If we combine the word from April one year ago and this month, we have OPEN SPIRIT. I can’t imagine a better phrase to honor the one-year anniversary of our new blog format. More importantly, in our world right now, OPEN SPIRIT celebrates unity of and with SPIRIT in a way that OPENS our hearts to new paths forward.
Chief Crazy Horse in 1877 said, “I salute the light within your eyes where the whole universe dwells. For when you are at that center within you and I am at that place within me, we shall be one SPIRIT.”
