Spiritual Vitamins

In religion we tend to hear about body and soul, as if they are two completely different things separated from one another.  But I see us as One to include both a physical and a spiritual energy.  We feed the body, the more physical part of ourselves, with food, exercise, rest, massage, and so on.  The spiritual energy part of us is fed by prayerful meditation.  Without that, we may be able to love those who love us, spouse, child, friend.  We are nurtured by their love and return love to them.  We feel part of, connect with these persons.  But we may not connect with the stranger, the co-worker, the commuter, the person on the grocery line unless we feed the spiritual energy with meditation.  To ignore this prayer is to starve ourselves slowly over time.  We become insular within our circles of love, family, friends, maybe community.  But that which will expand us, bring out the compassion, kindness and even tenderness for people beyond this close-knit circle comes only with a deep prayer life.  Most fear of the world comes not from a bad diet, but from a lack of attention to our spiritual innards.