Communities need a purpose. Spiritual communities need an elevated purpose. All communities need "buy in" leadership with the correct cause, a community which follows the community protocol. When the community elders no longer take living the purpose primarily, the community begins it’s decent into individual purposes. Community spirit is lost. The community may continue to exist, but it’s relevance has been diminished.

Unta Beant, true self-worth. What’s your life worth? Some time ago, some cultural scientists who wanted to know, arithmetically harvested anything of monetary value in our bodies, like the minerals in our bones, then added up it’s total value. It was estimated that the value of a human life was 78 cents, and that’s before taxes. Today, inflation might have pushed up the value to two or three dollars. Wow! That’s it? I thought I’d at least get ten dollars for my body. 

I and Thou. The classic book,  I and Thou, by Martin Buber and published in 1923, set the standard of the day for many in relationships and communication (including with God). In this book, I and Thou, is an insightful answer into the deep questions of the time. It is, and shall remain a classic. In fact, I reread this book every decade or so to remind myself of Mr. Buber’s great insight.

I’m a Sikh, so I have a slightly different take on I and Thou - not the book, but the reality. Please allow me to explain.

Sat Nam Beloved Community, Who is this guy God? What can He really do? I can hear the cries now, “This much I know, He’s not doing me any favors. Why should I believe in Him anyway? More wars, dishonor, you name it, have been committed in His name than any other. That’s not right. And, there are those who are so very often offended by intimate relationships that intimacy is to be avoided.” O.K. I get it.