Welcome aboard.

Our journey to a caring view of life begins. In some ways, our jaunt bears a resemblance to one of those Caribbean cruise ship itineraries; you know, stopping at several ports of call for quick visits, procuring small acquisitions to be brought back on board, then on to the next destination.

Two major differences:

First, while we will disembark at several different locales, each one will offer not a dust-collecting tchotchke, but one part of a story, all integrated and all pointing to our unique journey’s end, and forgive a spoiler alert. That journey’s end is a reverence for life, the marvelous spiritual teaching of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, his ethos that all life is sacred, all life is united.

Second, once we make the acquaintance of Dr. Schweitzer’s spiritual teachings, rather than file them away as forgotten lore, once perused then forgotten, we are going to put them into practice, make them part and parcel of our daily routine.

In so doing, we will be compliant with a crucial life principle enunciated by Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore:

“It is not enough to understand spiritual teachings.
We must apply our learning in all areas of life, incorporating them into our thoughts, words, and actions.”

Why?

Spiritual teachings by definition emanate from the Almighty, the Eternal, from God. As such, spiritual instruction is not merely an enlightenment for the self; it is an unmerited gift from God, and therefore accompanied by an obligation to share with all creation the essence of the donor: infinite, unconditional love.

This citation from a very helpful article on not merely hearing but truly living God’s word puts it well:

“James 2:17 says, ‘Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.’ Living out God’s Word requires more than just knowing Scripture—it requires putting it into practice in every aspect of our lives. The way we treat others, the way we manage our time, and the way we handle conflict are all opportunities to reflect God’s love and truth.”

Let me close with the words of Jesus:

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.

God is love. We are summoned to share His love “in all areas of life.”

What if the real challenge isn't learning how to apply a reverence for life in individual situations, but reaching the point where reverence no longer feels like a principle that needs to be consciously applied at all?

A caring view of life?

Or maybe simply caring for all life?

Next, our introduction to the spiritual teaching that is the foundation of human ethics.

Bob Echols is a Fairhope resident, cancer survivor, hospice volunteer, board member of Unity on the Eastern Shore church, blogger, author, speaker, animal welfare organization benefactor and executive, corporate attorney and ethics officer and U.S. Army veteran.