I heard the word “spirituality” from so many people at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in so many different contexts, I began to wonder if anybody knows what we all mean by that word. I asked random people how they understand the word.

From a Catholic: “the essence of what my life is about; an expression of my relationship with God”

From a yoga practicing Christian from Latvia: “to know who I am; to see the same in another human being”

From Science of Spirituality: “refers to the Soul and God, which is the only true and permanent part of our life in this world of mind, matter and illusion”

From Buddhist: “something beyond material”

From Sikh: “doesn’t mean anything”

From Jewish: “feeding a hunger to find out who we really are”

From United Church of Canada: “the faith resources that enable me to work for justice and transformation”

From Salvation Army: “the way I transform that Spirit into a way of living; has to be practical; impulse to move me forward”

From Christian: “exploration of our most inner being”

From Christian: “internal resonance of your relationship or experience with the divine”