Buddies Share Their Spiritual Journeys

Sixteen older men were asked to describe their spiritual journeys while on a retreat. They responded by opening their souls and speaking with rare honesty courage and vulnerability. The candor of the men revealed a tapestry of beliefs: most were Christian though some attended church and others did not. One was Jewish while others identified as spiritual agnostic or atheist. The retreat provided a forum where the men presented authentic accounts of how their spiritual journeys unfolded in a secular society.<br /><br />The men shared how they apply their spiritual values to daily life speaking of inner-world challenges such as dealing with imperfections doubts and fears and outer-world experiences like suffering child abuse the war in Vietnam and alcoholism. This deep sharing created a deeper bond among the men a connection characterized by respect and empathy.<br /><br /><i>Buddies</i> is a deeply personal and engaging collection of stories each written to paraphrase John of the Cross “with no other light or guide than the one which burns in their heart.”