Spiritual. Such a confusing word. There are probably as many different connotations for it as there are for ‘happiness’ or ‘work’; it just seems so subjective. And because the word is used in so many contexts, it can often be misleading, or alienating. Does it mean religious? Mystical? Weird? Unscientific? Does it relate to me or not? To clarify what is meant here, we can say that spiritual reality relates to all those qualities of the human heart such as love, courage, hope and faith. It is about the life of the soul, as opposed to the life of the body; our intellect, character and talents - all those gems latent within each one of us. It is also about prayer, service and altruism - and our capacity to reflect on all matters and search for meaning. A human being as a material entity actually needs very little - sleep, food, drink, shelter, etc. But all the rest? All those things that make us so complex, so unique, so powerful - this is our spiritual nature.
As is often the case for me, my reflections on this subject sprang out of my experience as a mother. I realised that on a day to day basis, my young children are fairly consistent in their levels of energy, noise, curiosity, exuberance etc. They wake fresh and ready for each day; they are not - so far - ‘moody’ (whatever that really is). Yet some days seem just so much harder than others. Some days, the noise and questions feel overwhelming; the behaviour that is no doubt age-appropriate and fully explicable seems unacceptable. Then on other days, the raw and real vitality of my children is a joy and I am ready to appreciate them and their needs much more. And so I realised that it is mainly my condition that affects the dynamic of the day; it is my perception that changes so much. Not that I am to blame or must shoulder all responsibility if things are challenging; everyone has free will after all, and life is full of changes and chances. But it made me understand yet again that parenting is not a skill of the material world to perfect, like sculpture. It is a spiritual process - of learning, reflection, transformation, tests, growth and the development of countless qualities that we didn’t know we needed/had. And the extent to which I am conscious of my own ‘condition’ - and the nature of my spiritual role as a parent - hugely affects the way I see and interact with my children. Of course, seeing things in this way doesn’t mean the material aspect of life isn’t important. If I pray for the wellbeing of my children, it doesn’t mean that I’m not going to tend to their physical needs as well. The two go together. So if I realise that I, as a mother, need to be more calm and content - I may very well look at my material needs (am I getting enough sleep and eating well?) as well as my spiritual state (am I making good choices? Am I seeking peaceful solutions in life? Am I making time for prayer/meditation/reflection?). But ultimately - if I am happy and fulfilled, all the little tests of life pale into insignificance. A bad driver on the road isn’t going to irritate me so much if I am already in a ‘good place’. If the structure of the home is sound, and the foundation well built, a little rain isn’t going to trouble those who live there. The same is true of the state of the world. We can view the environmental crisis, climate change, and the plastic endemic as purely material concerns. Or we can understand the spiritual causes behind them - and therefore look to spiritual solutions. This might sound a bit airy fairy. But actually what is the state of the planet if not a reflection of man’s abuse of it? And what is the cause of his abuse? His inner condition, surely, out of which his attitudes and behaviours emerge. So while cleaning up beaches and reducing waste are important steps in allaying the symptoms, true healing - and change - must address the root cause. If there is injustice, we need to build justice - not create a war. If man doesn’t care about the environment, we must teach our children to care. The old truism is indeed true - hate cannot drive out hate, darkness cannot drive out darkness. It is in this way that we can see the importance of the ‘spiritual’. How can we really do without it? Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
1 Comment
Deborah Burnett
3/10/2019 06:15:05
Beautiful and so clearly put as always - a sincere call to arise and heal humanity from the inside out!
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