Trust in a benevolent universe is a key to spiritual health.

Even if your spirituality does not include a Supreme Being, children need to feel that the universe smiles on them. Einstein said that the most important decision each person makes is deciding whether or not this is a friendly universe.

Dr. Laura Markham, Great Spiritual Lessons Every Child Should Learn, 

Laura Markham is no relation to me and I don’t know her. However, I admire her work.

As I read and think about this quote, it seemed to me that this is an important decision for adults as well as children. To what extent is one of the foundational purposes of psychotherapy to help people shift their perception from a world of malevolence to one of friendliness?. How do we help our clients shift their perception from a malevolent universe in which they feel victimized to a benevolent universe in which they are loved unconditionally?

Unitarian Universalism promotes the covenanting together to affirm and promote seven principles and identifies 6 sources for the perennial philosophy.

The seventh principle of UU is “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” The word “love” might be substituted for the word “respect.”

Teaching children and helping each other love the interdependent web is a significant activity in promoting spiritual intelligence. This teaching requires a shift in attention from the egocentric and ethnocentric thought systems to a world centric and integral apprehension.

What we do affects others and what they do affects us. The butterfly flapping its wings in the southern hemisphere does have an impact on life in Brockport, NY in Western New York State on the north coast of the United States eleven miles south of Lake Ontario.

Encouraging an appreciation of the interdependent web is to enhance our level of spiritual intelligence which is a primary function of churches in our society.