Spiritual
Relationship
“I
cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God began to slip
away, but the big chest I used to keep them in is smaller than a shoe
box now. Most of the time, I feel so ashamed of this that I do not
own up to it unless someone else mentions it. Then we find a quiet
place where we can talk about what is like to feel more and more
devoted to a relationship that we are less and less able to say
anything about.”
Barbara
Brown Taylor (Learning to Walk in the Dark)
Barbara Brown Taylor is
the most honestly authentic woman I know. She is unafraid to write
and speak her truth, even when it causes her pain to do so. At least,
she does not let fear of retribution stop her. It takes spectacular
courage for a celebrated priest to tell the whole world, “I just
don't believe it any more.” Not that she does not believe in
God—but that she no longer embraces the teachings of the church. It
is a paradoxical thing to me that the more we humans move toward
knowledge of God, the less defined God is. The more the church tries
to tell us what we must believe in order to pass muster as a proper
Christian, or Jew, or Muslim, the more we resist, and yet the closer
we feel to that Source. Speaking for myself, of course.
I passed an evangelical
Christian church yesterday on my way to the lake that has a total of
51,900 members on 17 campuses. Obviously, the church's message is
resonating with many, many people. I'm glad for them. Community is
everything, and the mega-churches are so skilled at creating small
communities within the church and nurturing them along. Bible study,
shared meals and family outings are their bread and butter, and also
the glue that holds people in the fold. You're golden, and a valued
member of the family unless you veer of the prescribed path. Doubt is
not welcome, questions always have answers that can be found in
chapter and verse, chastity of mind and body is required, and your
sexuality had better be straight with no gender confusion.
An important part of
spiritual development is deciding for oneself what one truly believes
about that which we call God. The relationship between one human
being and their Creator is critical to authentic spirituality, and is
as unique as the individuals themselves. It may not fit the party
line—and that is okay. There is no shame in having your own
understanding of what it means to be a child of God, and how you want
to live that out. In fact, that is what authenticity truly means.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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