Much of what passes for popular spirituality is really little more than wishful thinking. We are uncomfortable with uncertainty, uncomfortable not being in control of everything, and we realize that in truth we aren’t in control of much of anything. We go on a search for prayer books that promise results, spiritual practices that cannot fail (or so their promoters tell us), spiritual music to set us in just the right frame of mind, special diets from times gone by that the great heroes of our tradition surely ate (though not too many of us sign up for Buddha’s single grain of rice a day diet), and all sorts of bizarre practices that really are little more than superstition – and then we fool ourselves into thinking that they will work if only we try harder or spend more money on still more absurd ideas. In truth, healthy spirituality helps us cope with reality, not control it – and we start coping with it by admitting we can’t control it. Still, hope springs eternal…