Living An Integrated Life
By Reverend Al Johnson

On April 28th I attended an Interfaith gathering hosted by the Omar Ibn Khattab Foundation in Los Angeles.  There were about 200 people in attendance from many, many religious and spiritual congregations.  The gathering was sponsored by the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religious, Southern California Chapter.  The name of the gathering was called "The Challenge of Respect: Celebrating Interfaith Commonality, Exploring Religious Differences."

You may wonder what this has to do with living an integrated life.  It is my belief that unless we strive to respect the differences of others, we will have difficulty being able to live an integrated life.  Living an integrated life means that our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives affect how we accomplish what we intend in our social and career lives.  It is a matter of balance. 

It has been well established that there is a body-mind connection; that our thoughts and feelings do reflect in our actions.  These thoughts and feelings can cause us dis-ease.  Negative emotions and thoughts often cause anxieties and unwanted fears that can slow our spiritual growth.

Most in attendance at the gathering on April 28 agreed that without respect, we cannot achieve peace and the joy of living, whether it be with our immediate group of friends and relatives or among those with whom we work in our business lives.  Respecting doesn't mean that we have to agree with others, but it does mean that we listen to others and don’t imply that they are wrong.  We look for our commonality rather than our difference.

I would also contend that respect for others includes respect for this earth.  Do we tend to our garden? Do we take care of our pets and provide for their greater good? Do we take advantage of the recycling resources in our community?  Do we buy cars or trucks that use less oil and gasoline and therefore save natural resources?  Do we promote the use of alternative sources of energy to lessen global warming?   Do we take care of our own bodies through eating wholesome foods and involve ourselves in exercising regularly?  Do we turn off the television when there are programs with violent content? 

If we answer these questions and others in a positive vein, we can begin to live an Integrated Life.

Reverend Al Johnson, Unity Church of Temecula