That's The Spirit

Spirituality..

For me this is a thorny and difficult subject, as I find it can be for many people. I think the main reason is that it is so tied up with religion, and all the inherent problems that we can find discussing religion. I wrote a previous piece laying out where I stand on religion some time ago. In summary, I am an atheist and a firm believer that that which cannot be explained using the logic and reason of science and proved with the scientific method just does not exist. This includes so-called 'paranormal' phenomena, and anything else which fits into the umbrella term of 'magical thinking'. At the same time I strongly believe in other people's right to religious expression, and to any belief system as long as it does not hurt people and is not pushed on others, and would (and do) vehemently defend that right. I understand why faith is so important to people.

I realised upon re-reading my earlier piece that there is a disquiet in me when it comes to spirituality. It has been there for a long time, briefly quietened by the blind faith of my former years, momentarily touched upon by some isolated incidents of witnessing the presence of serendipity and karma in my life. I also felt that having a mindset that requires an explanation for everything allows no room for the genuine and wonderful nature of 'mystery' in life, and the important role it plays in balancing our inbuilt flaws and fallibility. I realised that I was not only unsatisfied with discarding spirituality in tandem with religious belief and faith, but that I was doing the very thing I often warn people about - throwing the baby out with the bathwater. An epiphany of sorts came last night, as ever from the unlikeliest of sources, in this case a piece of dialogue on a sci-fi TV series..

I have realised that spirituality is simply belief in something, anything, larger than ourselves, and that being 'spiritual' usually implies searching for meaning in life. It is concentrating on that which enriches and nourishes the spirit or 'soul', rather than the physical or material things in life. So, it turns out that I am actually a very spiritual being, because I do believe in something bigger than myself.

I believe in humanity.

I believe in our collective potential to evolve and become better. I don't believe in God, or that the term 'spirit' refers to dead people, or in some supreme being or 'higher power', but I do believe that when human beings come together for the purpose of fostering and furthering each individual's emotional and spiritual development that amazingly powerful forces are unleashed, and 'miracles' can happen.

Perhaps the answer to the question, 'what is the meaning of life' has always been right there in the very question itself. Perhaps the meaning of life is to find meaning in life. The search for meaning is easier if we are part of a community. No wonder so many of us are sick of modern life, as community is under attack like never before, from all sides. No wonder people still find solace, respite, comfort and reassurance in traditional church congregations, despite the general decline of religious belief and rise of secularism. No wonder groups like the 12-step programmes of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous are so effective in treating addiction and related problems. No wonder that group therapy is proving to be increasingly useful and popular in the treatment of mental illness. We live in an ever more connected world, yet basic human contact and interaction continues to decline.

Religion teaches us that man was made in God's image. Maybe the reality is that God was made in man's image. Now I don't want to offend anyone or negate anyone's belief system here, but think about what I'm saying. All the religious texts, the 'holy books', were written by human beings, right? They are basically a collection of stories handed down from generation to generation, person to person, transferred by word-of-mouth. At some point they are eventually written down, and continually rewritten. This process takes hundreds of years and many people have had to remember the details, not to mention the fact that each will have unwittingly or intentionally applied there own personal bias and interpretation to the stories. Religions then, to a varying degree, decide on a 'definitive' version of these writings and call it 'the word of God', and it becomes scripture or 'law'. So no matter what religion we believe, what image of God we have in our minds, that image is a product of the minds of men, is it not?

Think about the power humanity actually possesses. Each of us can create and destroy, in both a physical and metaphysical way. As a race we certainly seem adept at destroying the natural world and snuffing out all kinds of life with impunity. We are also capable of creating incredible feats of engineering and technology which can improve life on this planet. We have changed the face of the Earth and moulded mother nature with an efficiency, speed and sense of purpose that any 'God' would be proud of. We can get together to create new life with ease, and in raising children are we not participating in a 'grand design'? Individually we each hold within ourselves the potential to evolve and grow to become better people, for the whole duration of our lives, and to nurture the emotional and spiritual growth of others. Our powers as human beings are almost limitless - even Godlike?

So it is that I arrive at a place where I know I must stop resisting my own spirituality. In a sense I am already doing that, and have been for some time with my learning, in my social interactions, with my writing and in the way I choose to live my life. The reaching out to others that has become increasingly important to me recently has to be the latest part of my 'evolution'. I am looking for community, not attention. My need is to share the universal truths I have learnt and am learning, because they have helped me so much and I have found that they can help others, not because of any egotistical desire to prove how smart or wise I think I am. I have nothing to prove. I certainly don't want to be right about everything. I want to share the experience of learning and growing, in the hope that by doing so things might well change for the better for everyone, in the spirit of community, in truth, light and love.

My search for meaning in life has led me to this point. From here I hope to continue my search in the company of others.

"He voiced his opinions quietly but thoughtfully on the breeze, hopeful that another might hear, and in hearing him recognise themselves.."



Copyright ©2018 Richard C. Greenlow. All rights reserved.