We liked this book by an indigenous elder, who also has served as an Episcopal bishop. He writes incredibly well and has a productive point of view. The structure of the book was effective, and the prodding of all of us toward the truth, collective inclusion, and care of the earth, is pertinent.

Here are some quotes we loved from the book:

• “Spirituality is not a spa, but a construction site, where we build hope, one heart at a time.”
• The “emphasis on a private salvation rather than a shared hope is a mistake, because it cuts short the next steps in our partnership with the Spirit.”
• “Spirituality is not a competitive sport.”
• “Hope is the catalyst, the tipping point where what we believe becomes what we do.”
• “Standing up for one another, no matter our differences, is how spiritual community works.”
• “We are unapologetically committed to trusting in something bigger than ourselves. We are wild because faith is wild when it is untamed by the fences of fear.”
• “If our answer arises from the rugged individualism of imaginary differences and endless competition, then we will never move beyond the idea of communities as chessboards on which we play for our own advantage.”
• “We need less thunder in the mouth and more lightening in the hand.”
• “Your spiritual journey is measured not by how many answers you have accumulated, but by how many questions you have confronted.”
• “Our wisdom is not in what we know, but in what we wonder.”
• “Celebrating what we hope for together is better than fighting over what we believe separately.”
• “Our ability to work together has been weighed down by the demand for conformity.”
• “Our isolation in religious institutions smothers our hope. We must disorganize ourselves, intentionally and consistently. That means rearranging our priorities as institutions. Serious inter-religious community exchange needs to be advanced, with creative options for people to meet and engage without interpretive presence of religious hierarchy. Would this mean putting Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists together with no formal agenda or sanctioned leadership to guide them? Yes it would. And give them only one agenda, apart from sharing a meal: they should share photos of their children. Tell the funniest story about their families. Talk about their hopes for the future. One hour of that exercise would be worth years of theological debate about who owns the Spirit.”
• “My ancestors understood that the only natural predator of truth in the jungle of politics is power.”
• “Tolerance of lies is the source of our dilemna. Once a culture allows truth to become relative or even meaningless, that culture is in trouble.”

You too might enjoy Ladder to the Light. It is an easy but profound read. I give it 5 stars.