Materialism, fame, governing power, and temporary physical pleasure are among the many selfish ambitions of the human race. We have turned into short-term oriented societies, numbed by the endless rat-race after money and tangible things, that we approach life by going through the motions without a minimal sense of higher awareness. It’s depressing to notice this form of unintentional-living; where aspirations are meaningless and egotistical, social relationships are built on interest rather than trust, and the degree of anxiety, social pressure, and insecurity is sky high. Whereas, in contrast, conscientiousness and personal growth are in sharp decline. It would seem as if we were doomed for the complete mental destruction of human beings, but there is still hope. There is a source of hope rooted inside every one of us, a source larger in size for some, yet undeniably found in every single person.

Have you ever felt, at some point in time, a strong conviction to do something of great value for the world? Or sensed the possibility of experiencing a deeper connection with yourself, with others, or with your surroundings? Some may call it faith; others, ambition; or simply, the energy from within. Regardless of what name me ascribe, it is an invisible power that abounds in the realm of existence. Humans have an innate desire to find meaning beyond themselves, to awaken the giant within, and to achieve fulfillment in a place that transcends the physical world. The Gospel According to Mathew, highlights the virtue of recognising that we are all spiritual beings in need of connecting with a source of higher power, as in verse 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the hope; the hope that we can create a better, more harmonious world by increasing our spiritual awareness and evolving as spiritual beings.

To the same degree as every societal moral construct and value, in order to engrain and preserve spirituality in people, it must be taught from a young age and exemplified to children. Future generations should begin to receive guidance on the pursuit and exploration of early spiritual development. A great approach to this goal would be by incorporating a few short lessons in the weekly class schedule of children ages 4 and up, meaning that they would start attending spirituality class from kindergarten. Although preschoolers may be too young to understand certain abstract concepts, children this age have an incredible sense of wonder and truly are innate spiritual beings. Thus, they have skills that serve them well in terms of spirituality, such as living in the moment and believing things they cannot see. With this in mind, spiritual practices such as praying, practicing silence, deep breathing, gratitude, and appreciating the Earth with a caring attitude can be nurtured and developed. As the child matures, so should the spirituality lessons become more complex, diving into deeper and more abstract concepts. With this said, religion and doctrine should be avoided at all costs, since the goal is to inspire a spiritual sense of connection and awareness in children, rather than imposing a standard of faith in their brains.

A second approach towards promoting spirituality in the world is by equipping social groups with communicational tools that will allow them to establish good rapport in their daily lives. We should aim to develop close and harmonious relationships in which the people or groups involved understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well, thereby promoting relationships that are characterized by empathy, agreement, mutual trust, and emotional affinity. For this to happen, all we have to do is change how we talk. This involves establishing a new social concept where meaningful dialogues are valued over small talk, and encouraging people to be intentional about their topics of conversation. Imagine a world where people are constantly talking about their dreams, asking each other about their aspirations and goals in life, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses mutually in order to grow. Picture an innovative and modern society where people are so interconnected that there is no need for water-cooler-chatter. Instead, everyone is so mature and evolved that the topics of interest are of great substance, such as appreciating the wonders of nature and solving the problems of the world. Words are powerful. Just think about how the Bible preaches that God had the power of creation through his word. The words that we speak are a crystal clear representation of who we are and what is in our hearts (Matt. 12:34), “our words dictate our actions'' - Lao Tzu, and furthermore, whatever we articulate feeds the heart and the soul (Prov. 12:14).

The third and final strategy to promote a better, more spiritual world is just as compelling as the two previously mentioned. A strategy that takes advantage of the greatest innovation and current dominator of society; Technology. You may realize that all technological devices are designed to facilitate our advancement in the physical and material realm of life, however, this could be taken a step further. An increasingly spiritual world could be boosted by the creation of spiritually-focused technology that facilitates our entrance and development in the spiritual dimension of existence–in a bodily transcending plane. Societies are already beginning to take an active approach in this potential-filled area with technological inventions that trigger spiritual awakenings. Technologies that combine science and consciousness, such as magnetic brain stimulators that spark ecstatic experiences and brain-to-brain communication that enables people to establish a high degree of collectiveness, understanding, and problem solving. Spiritual tech is within hand’s reach, and, if tied together with an empowered evolution of human consciousness, the Earth could eventually level up in spirituality and become a planet of higher category.

As mentioned above, spirituality is not religiousness, and it’s essential to highlight this truth in view of the misinterpretation that relates spirituality with a specific set of rules and conducts. Spirituality is simply awareness. It is knowing that there is a higher power, which we may call God, that is the ultimate source of creation, and that we can connect to that power because we have been created not just as physical humans but as spiritual beings. As Teilhard de Chardin stated, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Spirituality is tapping into our unlimited potential in order to maximize our experience on Earth, it is reaching an energy-based level of societal interconnectedness, and ultimately, spirituality is to be of goodness and blessing for the world. The Earth is still awfully far from reaching a higher level of planetary consciousness, we lack depth in terms of social values, exploration, knowledge, civic responsibility, organization, order, and effective spiritual development. Nonetheless, there is still hope. Hope is inside every one of us; spirituality is part of what makes us human, and a renewing spiritual-awakening is our only hope to save the human race from extinction.

Runner-up of A Better World" Spirituality and Technology Advancement Scholarship for 2022