The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices

 
　　我們正處於一個價值觀交替的時代，過往維繫社群、幫助我們心靈成長的方式已不再適用──現在流行的社群網路不僅沒拉近我們的距離，反而讓我們感到孤獨、生活漫無目的，若我們仍用以往的方式維繫人際關係與尋找生活意義，多半會落得徒勞無功。
 
　　該怎麼做？就從找到適合的日常習慣、建立屬於你自己的「神聖小儀式」開始！試試參加健身課程，在會員間適時幫助彼此的互動中，獲得歸屬感；閱讀暢銷書籍，了解他人正在吸收、探索什麼樣的知識，藉此打造人際網路橋樑；為自己安排不使用科技產品的「休息時間」，創造與自己對話、認識自己的空間。
 
　　哈佛神學院成員及播客節目《哈利波特與聖書》(Harry Potter and the Sacred Text)主持人之一卡斯珀·特·庫勒，在本書中讓我們了解，透過簡單的日常生活休閒，我們也可以在生活中尋得平靜、治癒受挫的心靈，同時更了解自己，進而找到生活的意義。(文/博客來編譯)

Casper ter Kuile, a Harvard Divinity School fellow and cohost of the popular Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast, explores how we can nourish our souls by transforming common, everyday practices—yoga, reading, walking the dog—into sacred rituals that can heal our crisis of social isolation and struggle to find purpose—a message we need more than ever for our spiritual and emotional well-being in the age of COVID-19.

　　“After half a decade of research and hundreds of conversations with people around the country, I am convinced we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. That what used to hold us in community no longer works, and that the spiritual offerings of yesteryear no longer help us thrive.”–Casper ter Kuile

　　What do Soul Cycle, gratitude journals, and tech breaks have in common? For ter Kuile they offer rituals that create the foundation for our modern spiritual lives. 

　　We are in crisis today. Our modern technological society has left too many of us—no matter our ages—feeling isolated and bereft of purpose. Previous frameworks for building community and finding meaning no longer support us. Yet ter Kuile reveals a hopeful new message: we might not be religious, but that doesn’t mean we are any less spiritual.  
Instead, we are in the midst of a paradigm shift in which we seek belonging and meaning in secular practices. Today, we find connection in:

• CrossFit and SoulCycle, which offer a sense of belonging rooted in accountability and support much like church groups
• Harry Potter and other beloved books that offer universal lessons 
• Gratitude journals, which have replaced traditional prayer 
• Tech breaks, which provide mindful moments of calm 

　　In The Power of Ritual, ter Kuile invites us to deepen these ordinary practices as intentional rituals that nurture connection and  wellbeing. With wisdom and endearing wit, ter Kuile’s call for ritual is ultimately a call to heal our loss of connection to ourselves, to others, and to our spiritual identities.

　　The Power of Ritual reminds us that what we already do every day matters—and has the potential to become a powerful experience of reflection, sanctuary, and meaning.