Traversing the Spiritual Path

There are two kinds of people... those who by going through the right motions give the appearance of possessing a certain quality or characteristic and those who by the example of the life they lead demonstrate they possess that quality or characteristic. I've been debating with family which constitutes the characteristic of strength. It simply does not follow for me that because a person can stand up to people, speak their mind or finagle getting what they want that that person is strong. For me strength is something that is found deep within a person, a quality that constitutes and shapes who a person is, what she or he holds as foundational and what a person dreams or seeks to become. Even though it seems from time to time religion might actually endorse going through the motions when it calls for observing certain rites or public or private acts of piety, appearance doesn't advance a person down the spiritual path. To think that GOD can be conjurred up, captured and ordered to
meeting our need or purpose is simply fooling ourselves. Perhaps that is why I personally espouse spirituality to be a greater or higher virtue than religiosity.

Traversing the spiritual path requires that we be willing to meet GOD on GOD's terms, not our own. It requires a deep, fundamental openness to discovering or encountering GOD in unfamiliar or unexpected ways (perhaps this is why Jesus used the image of approaching GOD as a child). Sadly, there are some (even who are well-intentioned, deliberate and persistent) who walk past GOD failing to recognize the divine because the encounter does not take on the image or experience they preconceived. The demands life places on our time and resources in this day and age further distract or hamper our progress along the spiritual path. Finally,
there are a myriad of voices out there vying for our attention, but
which among them is the voice of truth that will lead to spiritual
enlightenment and communion with GOD?

Jesus chose to live out his own spiritual path in community, in the company of a small group he sought out. Community is an essential dimension to progressing along the spiritual path. Unfortuantely, however, the communities we belong to are defined by the neighborhoods we grew up or work in or the Church we attend. As a result all too often we contend with our broken lives or lives void of meaning and purpose utterly alone. I would love to assemble and live in community with others who share the same spirtual hunger, who seek after the same values and purpose. Until then, I am grateful I can journey along my spiritual path with the xanga community at my side.

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