“Spiritual” or “Religious”?
April 24th, 2008 Posted in Spirituality, Theology
“I had long claimed to be ’spiritual’ but not religious,” writes author Kathleen Norris of an earlier time in her life in her book Amazing Grace: a Vocabulary of Faith. It’s a phrase you’ll hear from many people you bump into, “I consider myself spiritual, but not religious.” What do we make of it?
I suspect such people come from a painful experience with church or “organized religion” as it’s sometimes referred to. They may also come with no such painful past but have bought into the current negative “in” view of secular thought about organized religion. My own sense is that people who go for “spirituality” but not “religion” want to hold to a very vague and general idea of spiritual matters. They may consider a spiritual experience to be anything from being at peace with themselves to viewing a sunset. Usually (again, my sense of it) is that there’s very little emphasis on a personal God. Being “spiritual” seems to be people-centered while I think of religion or a religious faith as having a God-focus to it. Kathleen Norris earlier mentions “the narcissistic babble that masks itself as spirituality.”
It’s been said, “I love humanity, it’s people I can’t stand.” That, to me, summarizes the difference between being spiritual and being religious. It’s easy to be spiritual but being truly religious, that, it seems to me, is where the rubber hits the road.
True religion is practical. It’s nitty gritty. It’s not always cozy and comfortable. It’s a relationship with the living God who will not be conformed to our image but calls us to be conformed to His image. This is what makes faith vital and alive!
I suppose it would be easier to enjoy a private spirituality where the great personal trinity of Me, Myself, and I rule supreme but you and I serve the true Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit where the second member of that triune nature of God came into this world as a very distinctive person known as Jesus. Ours is not a vague “spirituality” focused on our own ideas and feelings but a faith in the One who puts God in clear focus.
What this means in a very practical way is that as you walk through your day today you do not walk in a vague fog of your own “spirituality” but in the footsteps of the One you follow, Jesus, who is the light of the world. Enjoy His presence and leading today!
Dave
