I saw this quote by Sarah Durham Wilson a few days ago, and it’s been stuck in my head: “The
way you alchemize a soulless world into a sacred world is by treating everyone as
if they are sacred, until the sacred in them remembers.”

This idea speaks to me, for so many reasons. It’s the Golden Rule, but taken a step further:
it’s saying that we should do unto others as we would like to see done to ourselves….but it’s also adding the “why” behind the concept.

“Why” is an important question in my household. Our son Charlie in particular likes to ask it
when we make basically any demand of him. “Go put your shoes away.” “Why?” “Stop trying to
ride the dog like a horse.” “Why?”

If I said to Charlie, “Treat people the way you would like to be treated,” I can guarantee he
would immediately turn and ask me his favorite question. “Why?”

But if I paraphrase Sarah Wilson’s quote into something more child-friendly, and tell Charlie:
“Treat everyone like they’re special, like they matter – because they are special, they do
matter. You’re helping to remind them.” Then I’m giving him the rationale, right there.

“The way you alchemize a soulless world into a sacred world is by treating
everyone as if they are sacred, until the sacred in them remembers.”

This quotation marries the idea of transcendence with the concept of interdependency. We’re
all a part of something bigger than ourselves – various social groups, work environments,
charitable outreaches. We all dependent on others to survive – and others depend on us. How
do we transcend into fully realizing that we are sacred, that we matter? By using our treatment
of others to remind others that they are sacred, that they matter.

I love the idea that we are all, as humans, collectively, working toward transformation and
transcendence. And we need each other, in this process. We can’t get there alone, because, to
use another quote, no man is an island unto itself.

My parents are Orthodox Christians and through their church I was introduced to the idea of
theosis, or deification – the transformational process of becoming closer and closer to God,
until eventually you are a part of God. I think this is a beautiful and mystical belief. And to me,
it’s another way expressing the idea we are all working to transform and be a part of something
bigger – whether we call that bigger something “God”, “the Universe”, or just “humanity as a
whole”.

Another reason the idea of transforming the world around us into a sacred one resonates with
me is because transformation is a universal concept – it’s not limited to one religious creed or a
belief in an afterlife. We see transformation in nature every day, we see it as our kids grow up
and mature, we see it as our pets grow from puppies and kittens into dependable companions.
We see it in ourselves as we get older and wiser. To me, simply being aware of these transformations,

and being aware that I am a part of something bigger than myself – that, right there, is sacred.