Chaplain's Corner

Religious vs. Spiritual: this seems to be one of the primary areas of cultural debate in Canada. Unfortunately, many of us are not talking the same language. We are misunderstanding each other, making assumptions about what others say and generally muddying the waters instead of moving to clarity.

Just as human beings are physical beings (we have bodies), we are spiritual beings (we have spirits). Some insist that the spirit and the soul are one and the same while others would insist that human beings have a soul that is distinct from the spirit. For our purposes, let’s says that all human beings have a body and a spirit. If you believe that the soul is distinct from the spirit, that’s OK, please read on.

Every human being has a spirit, the part of them that is distinct from the body, the part of them that leaves at death, the part that animates the body and makes it alive. Many have worked at defining this “spirit” but a descriptive definition I use has been helpful to many people. The spirit is the part of a human being that (1) longs to live purposefully, (2) that longs to be connected to oneself, others, the world and God, (3) that longs to live with faith and hope in the face of life’s uncertainties and that (4) longs to make a contribution to the greater good. Because we all have these longings we are all spiritual in this sense.

Religion is one way human beings seek to satisfy these longings:  organized, creedal/doctrinal, ritualistic means by which the longings of the spirit are at least in part addressed. Thus we find many religions in the world: similar in some ways, different and oppositional in other ways. However many are abandoning religion as a means of addressing their spiritual needs. It is not unusual to hear a person say, “I’m spiritual but not religious.” Let’s leave the why of this for another article.

Let’s focus on spirituality. I want to challenge you to sit down with four pieces of paper. Put one of the four longings mentioned above at the top of each sheet, then begin a list of the ways you personally attempt to meet each of those longings. For sure many of you will list the church, a relationship with Jesus, service to others but I want to ask that you work with the list for awhile, a couple of weeks, coming back to it a number of times and as you do keep pressing yourself to think about all of the ways you seek to meet those longings.

This is a private exercise, no one need see this list but you, but the point is, if we push ourselves to think beyond the boxes we feel comfortable staying in, we will discover why we need to be distinct in the use of the words religion and spirituality. There is overlap for sure, but there is more and my hope for you is that in exploring this “more” you will understand just how God put you together and stop relegating your spiritual life to your religious life and realize that your spiritual life encompasses all of life.

Now for some of you this will be no discovery at all, but for many it may produce an “Ah Ha” moment that will begin to change your understanding of yourself in a very wonderful way. If  you do not consider yourself to be spiritual because in your mind that has always been tied to religion you may find that this exercise helps you realize just how deeply spiritual you are. Others who have considered religion the sum of their spirituality may be surprised just how broadly your spirituality is, going far beyond your religious life. Try it and be surprised.