Contributed by Rev. Dr. Trish Hall
Alignment is a deep, rich, complicated — yet ultimately simple — concept. Each of us is called to ask: Am I congruent? Do my opinions and actions reflect my stated beliefs, values and principles?
It is a clear question, yet it often yields murky answers.
It is easy to equivocate, to layer in subjectivity and make the inquiry unnecessarily complex. Often unconsciously, we rationalize. Many of us answer, “most of the time,” granting ourselves permission to drift. We may feel momentarily justified, even as a quiet discomfort lingers. Others compartmentalize, allowing deviations when circumstances seem to warrant them.
We live in a world of opinions. We form them from fragments of information gathered around us, filtered through experience, beliefs, values and principles. At times, current circumstances override that filtering process.
As humans, we are meaning-making beings. We interpret and label our experiences. When our opinions arise through alignment with our values and principles, we call it responding. When they bypass that alignment, we call it reacting.
An opinion, then, is a viewpoint shaped by judgment — one that may or may not be grounded in our deeper commitments.
How we show up in the world is the out-picturing of those opinions. Often, they have little to do with objective, verifiable facts. They are interpretations — personal, subjective and influenced by culture, upbringing, emotion, education, values and beliefs.
For many of us, this means our opinions are transient — here today, revised tomorrow.
Because we are continually evolving, it is healthy not to hold our opinions too tightly. Ernest Holmes, author of The Science of Mind, encouraged us to “remain open at the top.” We are meant to grow, adapt and experience ourselves more expansively as Spirit.
Similarly, Walt Whitman wrote in Song of Myself:
“Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)”
Growth invites contradiction. It is not failure — it is expansion.
My father was a fascinating contradiction. He was a scientist and engineer that was forever seeking new possibilities, revealing new adaptations of everything materially and scientifically extant. In contrast, his beliefs were often staid – locked in the past. We were fascinated by the apparent inconsistency between his scientific bent and his attachment to his expressed beliefs. The cliché, “I’ve made up my mind, don’t confuse me with fact,” was dogmatically imbedded and scientifically irrelevant.
Self-reflection and the Evolution of Belief
Over time, we come to see that our beliefs change. What once felt like absolute truth often gives way to deeper understanding. Our current perspective reflects accumulated experience — and it, too, will continue to evolve.
The question is not whether we are growing, but in what direction.
Are our values expanding alongside our awareness? Are we moving toward greater alignment with a more inclusive understanding of life? Are we cultivating a deeper capacity to embody Spirit in action?
Several years ago, Dr Kenn Gordon offered a message that challenged listeners to examine whether they were truly “walking their talk.” He invited a direct and honest inquiry: Do our opinions reflect our values, or merely the noise of our environment?
That question can be transformative.
It calls us into congruency.
It also evokes a cultural touchstone. In 1966, amid social upheaval in the United States, Peter Scholtes wrote They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love. It affirmed “We are one in the Spirit … one in the Lord” and called for unity through lived demonstration of walking and working together, guarding one another’s dignity. Identity exhibited by embodiment rather than an imposed ideology.
A natural extension of that idea might be: They will know we understand Oneness by our love.
The question remains: Would they?
Opinions, Truth and Alignment
Opinions are often expressed casually, even flippantly. They may feel true in the moment without being grounded in deeper truth.
That distinction matters.
When we shift from asking, What do I think? to What is actually so? we enter the territory of integrity. We begin to ask whether our thoughts, words and actions are aligned with what we claim to value.
This requires accountability.
It also requires clarity in language. Words such as integrity, honesty and authenticity may not hold identical meanings for everyone. For the purpose of this reflection, integrity can be understood as the integration of:
- Honesty — truthfulness
- Consistency — alignment across situations
- Moral coherence — behavior reflecting values
At its root, integrity speaks to wholeness. Nothing fragmented. Nothing out of alignment.
A person living in integrity acts in accordance with their values, even when it is inconvenient, and takes responsibility for their choices.
Recognizing Misalignment
When we notice misalignment, self-judgment often follows. We may accuse ourselves of hypocrisy or fall into harsh self-criticism.
Alternatively, we may avoid awareness altogether, moving through life in oblivion – not recognizing our inconsistencies.
Neither response is particularly useful.
Misalignment is not evidence of failure; it is an invitation to awareness.
It is also important to recognize that behavior communicates more honestly than words. If there is a gap between what we say and what we do, others will trust what they observe.
The question becomes: What are we truly communicating?
Living Among Difference
Being human among other humans is not always easy.
We encounter differences that may feel unfamiliar, even unsettling. Yet difference is not inherently dangerous; often, it is simply not yet understood.
Each of us is shaped by distinct cultures, experiences and traditions. Developing authentic connection across those differences requires intention, humility and a willingness to listen.
Many spiritual traditions share a concept of Oneness, though expressed in different ways. That shared principle can serve as a meeting point — if we approach it without assumption.
Too often, we believe we are communicating clearly when we are not. We assume understanding where none exists. True communication requires more than shared words; it requires shared meaning.
Returning to Congruency
Across traditions — including Judaism, Islam, the Bahá’í Faith and New Thought — there is a consistent understanding: human beings fall short, and there is always a path of return.
Incongruence is not a destination. It is a point of awareness.
- In New Thought, it signals misalignment in consciousness and invites practices such as prayer and meditation.
- In Judaism, it is understood as “missing the mark,” with a path of return through acknowledgment and repair.
- In Islam, integrity is upheld alongside divine mercy, with return grounded in remorse and renewed intention.
- In the Bahá’í teachings, integrity develops over time, supported by reflection, prayer and conscious effort.
Across these perspectives, a shared pattern emerges:
Integrity is the aim.
Incongruence is the teacher.
Return is the practice.
A Personal Practice
One of the principle tenets shared by many faith traditions around the world is Oneness. It is my most highly held principle – the conviction that the Divine Creator is expressing Itself as all that is. I have a passion for Peace which, for me, is the natural outcome of fully embracing Oneness. To the best of my ability, I live kindness and compassion anchored in my values of integrity, honesty, and authenticity. To remain as keenly aware as possible of whether I am maintaining congruency, I use this simple (though sometimes not easy) practice by regularly asking myself:
- Am I in alignment right now? Is how I am showing up in alignment with my beliefs and my feelings? [Often my feelings are what tip me off that I am out of alignment.]
- What do I know to be true here? What would integrity look and feel like in this moment?
- I soften into acceptance (with no guilt or shame) when I have deviated from my desired way of being, knowing that realignment is always available.
- I become clear in my observation of what may have caused me to veer off, and select one small, honest step I can take now that reflects my deeper truth.
- I remember!
I remember …We are not asked to be perfect—
only to be willing to return, again and again, to what is true.
This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.
Copyright 2026 © TYSONS INTERFAITH. All rights reserved.