What is Sufism?

We go to a monthly support group called Adoption Knowledge Affiliates. This month the speaker is a teacher at the University for Spiritual Healing and Sufism, and will be speaking about experiencing adoption from the heart and not from the head.

Now, obviously my Christian faith is important to me. I mean, duh. But, because AKA is not affliliated with a religion, at least I didn't think so, I can accept that we don't talk about God and Jesus and religion. Although it feels artificial not to discuss matters of faith and adoption, because for us the two are inextricably linked, we participate like good little members.

Now this? We are going to have a lecture called "How to Experience Deeper Relationships in Adoption: Think From Your Heart, Not Your Head," from the perspective of a Master Teacher Muqadam in the Sufi tradition (I have no idea what this means). So, why are we not incorporating our faith in conversation? Maybe we will.

I'm not going. I'm not going because I have another commitment - a Christian one, in fact. So, I won't be able to give my opinions on this talk, or even see first-hand if this religion will be promoted at the meeting. Part of me is glad that I can't go. Part of me wants to attend.

So, before I open this up for discussion, I want to ask that we calmly and humanly express our knowledge and opinions on either Sufism, the place of religion in non-religious situations, or related topics. Only when we are able to talk about such loaded issues without disrespecting others' differing opinions can we learn anything about cultures outside our own.

So, what is Sufism?