I am amazed at the number of books, workshops, training sessions, seminars, and gurus that have multiplied in the last few years in the area of spirituality. Spirituality differs from religion in that religion is a system of beliefs, while spirituality is the practice of staying consciously connected to that which makes us alive. I think society’s increased interest in spirituality is evidence of two things: a great spiritual hunger and search for meaning in our lives, and the inbreaking of the Divine into our collective life together on this planet.
There is a place inside of all of us that cannot be filled with things, human relationships, jobs, degrees, affluence, or addictions. One writer has said it is the Holy of Holies inside of us that only the Spirit can fill. It is the source of our spiritual hunger. This spiritual hunger is intensified by the fact that we have lost touch with the mystery of life. As children of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, we have lost touch with the world of the spirit.
Paradoxically, as we experience this loss of mystery, we are also experiencing a renewal in spiritual matters. There is something about the life of the spirit that cannot be reasoned away, or replaced with technology. Even the fields of science and business are invoking the spirit with concepts such as chaos theory, the new physics and spirituality in the workplace.
I think the challenge for us is that we do not become consumers of spirituality. Buying a book on spirituality--even reading it--does not necessarily place us on a spiritual journey, or make us spiritual. Taking a seminar on meditation will not necessarily connect us to the mystery of life. Going to church or synagogue will not instantly fill our lives with meaning. But these are good beginnings to addressing the hunger that resides in us.
The path to filling our spiritual hunger and making room for the Spirit is characterized by discipline--spiritual disciplines. Spiritual disciplines are regular practices that cultivate deep living. Artists, musicians, and athletes who want to develop their skills need discipline to do so. As a people of faith, we must cultivate the skills and practices of our spiritual life in order to grow. Spiritual disciplines might include devotional reading, prayer, meditation, exercise and health, worship, generosity, or hospitality. Spiritual disciplines, however, are not aerobics for the soul as much as they are practices that open us up to God. The discipline does not fill our spiritual hunger, God does.