(Each Saturday, a faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal perspective in this space. To become part of this series, email religion@recorder.com or call 413-772-0261, ext. 265.)
We talk about spirituality, being spiritual and spiritual paths. What does that really mean?
As I was growing up, I was always a little disturbed by the term “religion.” Maybe it wasn’t so much the term “religion” as it was “organized religion.”
I remember talking with a friend of mine about being religious. The conversation took us down the road of what “religiously” meant. It means something that one does consistently and usually in the same way. It becomes a pattern in one’s life. With some things, it becomes almost an addiction, like running. I have had many friends who liked to run. It didn’t matter what the weather was like or what they had to do during the day, they HAD to go running, sometimes even if they were sick. Running is not bad in itself, but when you do it over and over again, one can forget what the true purpose of doing it is — or why they started to do it in the first place.
That sometimes happens to people when it comes to their religious practice: They go to service once a week and consider their religious obligation fulfilled and then go about their daily lives without thinking about how they live their lives and the consequences they may have.
Spirituality goes to a deeper level. It is a journey and a path which becomes a way of life. Sometimes we are guided to walk a specific path. It does not matter what religious faith we practice. There is no right or wrong way and it may or may not involve following a doctrine of a church. It also means that the path is not always going to be a smooth one. We may find that there are many twists and turns and sometimes we stub our toes on the rocks and on boulders as we follow our path. And sometimes we even fall. It is through these twists and turns and the pain that they cause that we may become closer to the Divine. As our relationship with the Divine grows, and we follow our path, oftentimes unexpectedly, doors will open.
A spiritual journey starts in love and faith. So, what happens on that journey? That is going to vary with each individual for it is such a personal walk with the Divine. But I believe there are some commonalities. Here they are:
Talking to the Divine (praying)
Listening to the Divine and our higher selves (Meditation)
Learning to be non-judgmental about others
Forgiving others and ourselves.
Participating in your spiritual community — this means not just giving money, but taking action within that community to the extent that you can. Remember that old saying, “It takes a village ….”? In this case, “It takes a village to sustain the village!” We can’t always sit back and rely that someone else will take care of it (whatever that “it” is) for there lies the possibility that the place we come for spiritual nourishment might no longer be there for us.
I saved the strongest for last: Aspire to do everything with love. I say aspire because none of us are perfect and there are times when that level of love is not so high — we might get angry, complain, blame, focus on the negative, allow fear to take over, etc. In our church, there is a picture of the Dali Llama and on that picture is one of his sayings, “The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your actions will be.”
The more we practice our belief system and walk our spiritual path, the more open we become to a greater love and a greater consciousness (for we are all connected) which will lead us to our final destination — wherever and whatever that may be. We cannot get there by sitting on our hands. It takes action — actions done with love. Notice even in the Dali Lamas saying that the more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your ACTIONS will be. The focus is on love and actions. The Bible says the same thing. I John 3:18 says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
If you have uncertainty about where you are headed on your spiritual journey, or you are finding that you are not getting as much spiritual fulfillment as you want or need, I recommend that you talk with a minister you are comfortable with and who you trust.
Listen to your heart and follow it with love.
About The National Spiritual Alliance
The National Spiritual Alliance has been serving spiritual needs since 1913. We are an alliance of churches, missions, schools, ministers and members, all gathered under the umbrella of the religion, philosophy and science of Spiritualism. We welcome all who seek spiritual understanding, regardless of current or prior faith tradition, or lack thereof. Come join us at our services on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We are at 2 Montague Avenue, Lake Pleasant, in Montague. Our website is www.spiritualallianceusa.org and like us on Facebook. Email us at contact@spiritualallianceusa.org or call 413-367-1038.