The morning of November 1, 2010, fourteen people interested in the intersection of spiritual guidance and justice gathered at The David Brower Center in Berkeley, California, USA following "The Mindful Lawyer" conference. This is the question we engaged:

Can spiritual guidance offer a valuable contribution to the field of law and justice, and everyone who engages in the work of justice?

Mindful and contemplative, we each responded to the word "justice" until everyone settled in a space of stillness, creating this image. Please ponder which words speak to your heart of compassionate care and just action.

Our morning was rich and valuable weaving poetry, stories, wrestling with real issues for the field of law and justice, naming the challenges and gift of where mindfulness practice, prayer, or contemplative practice can lead, and the value of spiritual guidance. It was good to be together in this very important topic and work.

Thank you extends to all the participants in the first SDI "Spiritual Guidance and Justice Institute" in Berkeley, California. SDI believes that yes, indeed, spiritual guidance offers valuable contributions to justice. To everyone who engages this pertinent topic--thank you. We look forward to learning together and from each other.

Spiritual Direction

Wing-tips touching, we fly,

the eagle’s view.

You see my world

through my eyes.

And sometimes, I need us

to return to earth,

so I can look into you

looking into me,

and I can cry

with relief, because I see

that you see

my world,

and I can see

that my vision

creates a light

in your eyes.

-- Jennifer (Jinks) Hoffmann  

Please share books, DVD's and resource suggestions for the field of justice, law, lawyering, education, and spiritual guidance. Simply add a comment to this post. SDI will develop a resource page in our Web library dedicated to this field of inquiry and engagement.