Religious Scholar

Spiritual people come in many forms. Some are zealful, energetic, and outgoing. Others are thoughtful, reserved, and contemplative. Recently surveying some Protestant Web sites, I was intrigued by the abundant images of people in tee-shirts sweeping, laying bricks, picking up litter, and so forth. These are all worthy acts and celebrated in all religious traditions (see Thich Nhat Hanh's many books that honor the act of washing dishes). Indeed, H.D. Thoreau seems to have spent a great deal of time engaged in manual labor, with his spiritual life none the worse for it.

These activities do not appeal to everyone, however.  Some among us are confirmed "pew potatoes," for example, and, in the timeless words of Seinfeld, "there's nothing wrong with that." Others wouldn't be caught dead wearing a tee-shirt (not when when we live in a world of washable velvet and no-wrinkle silk). Manual labor has its place in the world, but is not exactly a magnet for every type of spiritual person. So perhaps we should diversify our religious Web sites to show the abundance of ways in which the spiritual life can be lived, suitable not only for those who sweep, but also those who have quiet discussions and read books under a tree. For every Martha, there is a Mary; for every Yang, a Yin.