I started this series hoping to understand what people mean when they use the word “spiritual.” Many who say they want no affiliation with an established religion still consider themselves spiritual. Some theologians predict that churches will become spiritual centers in the future. I found myself getting very uneasy about this and couldn’t figure out why.
When I examined biblical and church history, I found that the word signified different movements and exercises at various times. However, none of them seemed to relate to how it is used today.
This has convinced me that you have to take into consideration the circumstances in our modern technological society. When most of our lives are spent in an artificial environment, spirituality becomes vital for staying connected to reality.
My unease resulted from realizing that technology has fostered a radical individualism in which concepts such as spirituality have become plastic words with no shared meanings. They neither name nor describe, as they convey an image rather than a verbal description. You are left with a rather vague impression, enabling you to interpret it any way you please.
This is a critical problem in modern society. Radical individualism has meant the loss of a common search for truth. Without community, everything focuses on individual thought and experience. There is no common sense. There is no grounding in common life. Words become tools for getting what you want, and using a high-sounding name, such as spirituality, can be a way to convince yourself and others that your thoughts and experiences are high-quality.
This has brought a dangerous political situation. With no common understanding of truth, there are no checks and balances. Elections can be regarded as a certification of one individual’s knowledge. It quite naturally leads to an authoritarian like Donald Trump.
It also explains how many people think he defines spirituality. Although he doesn’t worship, he can portray a spiritual image by standing in front of a church building holding up a Bible or bowing his head in the appearance of humility as many religious leaders place their hands on him as if he is anointed by God.
In such a situation, it’s terribly important to practice a healthy spirituality. I think that at least involves taking part in natural and communal environments. Spending time in nature counters the shallowness of synthetic technology. The beauty of universal harmony inspires an appreciation of life. Participating in community provides evaluation of individual thoughts and experiences. If it is a community of faith, it also keeps you in contact with the wealth of tradition and maintains a relationship with the divine.
