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"What Does All
This Talk About Spirituality Have To Do With Me?" by Dr. John Largen _______________________________________________________ There's a lot of talk going around
these days about "spirituality" and "being
spiritual." It sounds like more "New Age" mumbo
jumbo, with crystals and channeling and other goofy stuff. But it's not
confined to California. All the bookstores are filled with books and tapes by
people who are apparently making a load of money on "spirituality."
The term "spirituality" is showing up everywhere: in magazine
articles on relationships, in popular music, in advertisements, on greeting
cards, in exercise programs, in stress-management seminars. The word
"spirituality" is rarely defined and so each person is left to
figure out what it means in each context. It's confusing. But is it
important? One gets the feeling that our
materialistic, brand-name society must be hungry for something transcendent
or religious. At a time of great national prosperity, the talk of
"spirituality" is pervasive, as if all our wealth, all our
technology, and all the "things" we've acquired just don't mean
that much after all. It seems that, despite outward appearances, we as a
people are still empty, restless and unsatisfied. We're still searching for
some ultimate meaning for our lives. Rich as our culture is, we are yet
poverty-stricken for truth and personal fulfillment. Though full with the
shiny bobbles and pleasures of this world, we somehow sense...when we're
honest with ourselves...that we are still hungry way down deep...hungry for
something or for someone to help make sense of our lives. One thing is for sure: hungry people will
eat junk-food if they can't find anything else. All this loose talk
about "spirituality" certainly displays a deeply felt need within
us, but ultimately it cannot satisfy the need. It's the "junk-food"
of today's culture. It's as helpful to us as chewing gum is to a starving
person. But that's not the end of the story. There is good news. The good
news is that there is available to us another way of understanding
"spirituality"--a time-tested reliable way, a nourishing way, a way
that never leaves the ground. It turns out that this human longing,
this inner thirst, this shared restlessness has been there from humankind's
beginning. The Old Testament psalmist wrote, "As a deer pants for the
waterbrook, so pants my soul for you, O God." St. Augustine wrote,
"You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless
until they find their rest in you." The true bread that satisfies our
soul, the living water that quenches our longing, the divine embrace that
offers us rest and peace...is none other than the loving God who knows us
inside out and who welcomes us in spite of our waywardness. The Holy One made
known by Jesus of Nazareth is the Source of our life and the ultimate Truth
of our existence. And the followers of Jesus, the Church, have always
participated in a full-filling, bounty-full and joy-full Christian spirituality.
This Christian spirituality is an ancient practice of simply "being with
God" in the ordinariness of everyday life...thus it bears little
resemblance to the vague, vaporous, junk-food "spirituality" that
is variously chattered about in popular culture. The term "Christian
spirituality" is just another way to talk about the Christian life and
discipleship. It involves the whole of our life, not merely a compartment of
it. It is our response to God's initiative. It is the daily living out of our
baptism into Christ. It is walking wet every day, following the Lord Jesus
into a radically new way of being--of freedom, love and service for others.
It is not for a select group of mystics with supernatural abilities and
secret knowledge; it is for you and me and all the baptized. It is not about
becoming more and more responsible in the fulfillment of a duty; rather, it's
about becoming more and more faithful in a love relationship with God. A simple definition of Christian
spirituality is "Living in awareness of the presence of the Triune God
(Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)." Living in awareness means paying
attention and noticing. There is an intentionality about such living. Paying
attention to the presence of the Triune God in the ordinariness of daily life
is an honoring of one's relationship with God, because it is a relationship
of love and intimacy. It means learning to watch and wait for the subtle
movements of God in our lives and in our world. It means learning to both
listen to and talk to God, and to grow into the honesty of the relationship.
It means seeing the world as God's world, and seeing all people as God's
people. It means noticing and celebrating the holy in the ordinary--in each
moment, in each conversation, in each happening--because this is the place
where God is...not out in some seventh heaven a universe away. Like in any relationship, communicating
openly and simply being with each other allows for a deepening of
understanding and affection over time. And it is the Holy Spirit who
initiates this togetherness, not us--which is why we call it SPIRITuality!
The Spirit works always to draw us ever closer to God who is the center of
our lives. Sometimes almost imperceptibly, the Spirit gradually but
tenaciously calls us to God. This is the thirst and ache for God which we
sometimes sense deep within us. It's the source of our restlessness when we
are apart from God...the restlessness which we sometimes try to shake with
the distraction of material things, sex, alcohol and drugs. The truth is, as
Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they find their rest in God.
And our deep-down unspoken desire for God is really an echo of God's
deep-down desire for us. Worshiping with our sisters and
brothers in Christ in community, especially around the Lord's Table; delving
into scripture which is God's Word to us; engaging in an ongoing, honest
prayer life of communication and communion with God; and selflessly serving
God's people are basic ancient practices which tutor us in our relationship
with God...which open us up to grow in intimacy with this One who is Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. It's not about duty; it's about a relationship. As the Spirit dwells within us and
works a transformation in us, we become more and more attentive to and
cooperative with the Spirit's leading over time. And pretty soon we discover
ourselves being changed, renewed. We discover freedom for a new way of
living; we discover forgiveness and peace; we discover hope for the future;
we discover a love to share. The Holy Spirit wonderfully forms us inwardly
into the image of Christ and gathers us to be the Church, which is Christ's
body in the world. Christian spirituality is not vaporous
and "new age." It is an earthy and ancient way of being with God in
love. It is the way of the Church, the way of the disciple, the way of living
out God's way in the world. And ultimately, it is God's work in us. So, what does all this talk about
"spirituality" have to do with you? Well, if you listen carefully,
there is a quiet invitation in it to look honestly at your deepest desires.
Do you sense a void, a restlessness, an inner longing for something more in
your life? Perhaps it is the whisper of the One who knows you better than you
know yourself. Perhaps it is an echo of this One's desire for you. How will
you respond to this silent voice? The great good news for you and me is that
the indwelling Spirit of God is already drawing us closer to the center of
your lives...the Triune God who loves us more than we can imagine. In the
face of such unrelenting love and grace, all we can do is rejoice and dance.
The
Rev. John Largen, D.Min. Pastor
to the Seminary Community for Spiritual Formation Lutheran
Theological Southern Seminary Columbia,
South Carolina |
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