c. 2004 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) ‘Tis the season for graduation, and while you can’t go wrong with practical gifts like laundry bags and quarters, sometimes you’re looking for something a little more ethereal.

Still, shopping for the intangible can be tricky. Here are 10 graduation gift ideas that will nourish the soul.

Milk and honey: The Israelites long anticipated “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Once they arrived there, they were directed to build an altar, offer sacrifices and rejoice in God’s presence.

So bestow your favorite graduates with a gift of milk and honey _ the symbolic fruits of their long and sometimes difficult journey. Then remind them that while they may have arrived at their own promised land, it’s wise to be thankful for what they have received, and to keep priorities in order.

Sacred text: When it comes to graduation gifts, inspirational books and treatises bearing names like “If Jesus Were a Senior” and “Proverbs for Life for Graduates” fill bookstore shelves. They have their place. But there’s nothing like the original.

Pick up of a copy of the text that’s sacred to the graduate’s faith tradition. If she’s a relative and you share the same religious beliefs, pass along a copy of scripture that’s been used in your family over the years.

Inside the book, write an inscription or transcribe your family tree. Graduates on the cusp of new experiences, when everything can seem topsy-turvy, may be strengthened by the ancient wisdom, as well as by recalling your family’s fortitude and faith over the years.

Pilgrimage: As every student can attest, there’s nothing like a field trip. Sign that permission slip (OK, credit card bill) and send your graduate on a trip to soothe and strengthen the spirit.

Only you know what trip suits his needs best. Maybe it’s Iona, the small island off Scotland’s west coast where Columba founded a monastery in 563, or Egypt, where it’s believed Jesus and his family traveled some 2,000 years ago. Jerusalem _ sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims _ is one of the most celebrated sites for pilgrims, but the State Department discourages Americans from traveling there at the moment.

Bowl and towel: The Last Supper means much to Christians, and it may arguably be considered a graduation ceremony of sorts for the first disciples. After spending years learning from Jesus, they spent one more evening together. That night, Jesus washed everyone’s feet and offered this instruction: “Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Reminding graduates to love another, present them with a towel and a bowl that you’ve made, purchased from a local artisan or picked up at the store.

Charity: Some students crave cool cars and cash at graduation time. Others might be more moved by gifts to support causes dear to them. For the soon-to-be teacher, that might be a gift of supplies for the classroom; the prospective M.D. might be obliged by a donation made to the American Cancer Society.

Or you could go one step further. In “Living Judaism,” Rabbi Wayne Dosick writes, “Human beings _ who are created in the image of God _ are to imitate God by caring for any of God’s children who are in want or need. By performing g’melut chasadim, acts of unconditional, covenantal love, people bring assistance and comfort to those in need; share with God in moving the world toward perfection; and bring kedushah, holiness, to their own lives.”

So give a gift to honor your graduate’s compassion, and then lend a hand to help that cause.

Plant: Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to remember what’s important. On the third day, the Book of Genesis reports, the Almighty called for the land to produce vegetation, “plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”

We’re not about to disagree. Whether you give your graduate something as common as columbine or as bodacious as the Bo Tree _ the tree by which Buddha is said to have waited for his enlightenment _ having something to nurture is always a good thing.

Epistle: The Apostle Paul wrote several. So did Peter and John. Nearly 2,000 years later, their missives are still treasured. But time and again these days, you hear the lament that nobody writes letters anymore.

Be the exception and give a note filled with guidance, encouragement, maybe even your thoughts on some ancient teaching. It’s a gift no one else can replicate and may go down as one of the recipient’s most valuable and memorable presents.

Light: In many of the world’s religions, light signifies everything good. Share its radiance with a graduate with the gift of something as simple as a candle or a light bulb, or as extravagant as a Tiffany lamp. Then include a passage from a sacred text about the importance and beauty of light.

Bread: Man may not live by it alone, but many have come together over a shared meal. Giving bread _ whether it’s a single, symbolic loaf on graduation day, pans and a recipe so he can make his own, or a personalized gift certificate promising a fresh loaf once a month _ is a way to offer physical sustenance. More than that, if it’s shared with friends and enemies, bread can become a source of spiritual strength as well.

Shoes: In particular, pick up gear that’s made for walking or running, not parading across the red carpet. While many of the world’s religions teach the value of being still, spiritual leaders often tell their followers that a time comes to get up and start serving others.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews put it this way: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

DEA/CAD END CAMPBELL