Five Minutes on Mondays: Finding Unexpected Purpose, Peace, and Fulfillment at Work

Justice on the Train: Offering Criticism

There are many places that are consciously designed to teach us spiritual lessons: churches, synagogues, mosques, ashrams, meditation centers, nature retreats, and so on. These places are usually quiet oases away from our noisy lives, where we can focus on personal growth and nurture our relationship with a higher purpose. Much of our greatest architecture is devoted to these structures, which usually rely on the powerful combination of symbolic spaces and choreographed ritual to facilitate a spiritual connection. At one time or another, the majority of Americans attend one of these places.

I’d like to suggest an addition to the list. This place does not have a grand edifice, but it shares many of ...