So, you say that you're not really religious, that you're just spiritual. You also state that you
really can't define what you mean by “just spiritual” only to say you don't belong to any organization, and you believe in some kind of a higher power. You
just sort of go with the flow, wherever the spirit takes you. And that makes
perfect sense. Loosely defined, religion is organized spirituality. So what you're really saying is that your faith is unorganized. You have no real
direction except what feels right at the time.
This doesn't seem very
comforting and certainly not personally challenging, although it is spiritually
convenient in a secular sort of way. To be spiritual is to live life within
your faith. But how can you live your life within your faith if your
spirituality is unorganized? Or at least undefined? Religion and its many
denominations, along with the sense of community, are necessary to define and
execute your spirituality. Some need this organization in great abundance while
others are less inclined to be involved. I believe that the majority of us need
some kind of structure to help guide us through life.
We, as a people, are
naturally sociable. We, as a people, are also naturally selfish. So how does
God, Spirit, or Higher Power help us to overcome ourselves? This is done through
the teachings of our God on how to live for the good of others; it is how we
live a spiritual life. Another way to put it is to say that, how we live our
lives is the relationship we have with our God, Spirit, or Higher Power.
Jesus is quoted as
saying;
Mark, 12; 29-31-
Jesus replied, the first is this: Hear, O
Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your
strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There
is no other commandment greater than these.
Jesus is also quoted as
saying;
John, 13; 34-35a
I give you a new commandment: love one
another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.
These passages put things
in as succinct phrasings as I have found. Love God, Spirit, or Higher Power
first and foremost and do it by loving/caring for those less fortunate than
you. To be just spiritual; perhaps it’s just human nature to think we can do it
(life) on the fly. I believe that life is fuller and happier with the guidelines God put before us thousands of years ago. I chose these Christian passages
above to express my faith, but regardless of your faith, religion, or
denomination let love/charity be your guide, for this is the central teaching
of all the major faiths of the world.
May the love and peace of Christ be with you now and forever. Amen
By David E. Gonzales
Scripture is from the NABRE
