I’ve been fascinated by faith and religion since I was a kid. I wanted to be a preacher but eventually ended up leaving the church because it’s not where people were living good lives. There was just as much pettiness, anger and fear in the church as there was in the larger world. And the people I met outside of church that were happiest weren’t focused on the Christian faith as a guiding principle.

The most inspirational and validating spirituality that I’ve found came from a comic book writer. In essence, the universe is an egg, and our entire existence is a process of incubation. Every life, every being, every mote of dust contributes to the experience of whatever it is that we’re becoming. When we hatch, it’s important for us to know the love of the child and the mother. To understand the anger of the killer and the fear of the victim. Every life and every experience is valid and valuable and an inextricable part of our shared collective being.

To me, that forces you to recognize yourself in others. You can’t lie or cheat someone when you realize you’re only cheating a version of yourself. You can’t ruin the environment when it’s supported you for billions of lifetimes. You can’t hate someone who looks different when they’re mostly you on the inside.

I think it’s a beautiful approach to spirituality. And gives us each meaning but with the responsibility of living our lives in a way that contributes to something greater.