When it comes to spirituality, God is optional. Connecting spirituality with a belief in God or a Higher Power is a common mistake. While one’s spirituality may include belief in a deity, many people lead deeply spiritual lives without holding a belief in God.
The following is a text version of this blog posting.
It’s a common perspective. People think that spirituality has to do with belief in God or gods or a higher power. Or they view spirituality as connecting us to powers or energy or spirits from beyond. If belief systems like that are part of your spirituality, there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, I believe in a deity who is the source of all life whom I experience in many different ways each day. But I don’t view a belief in a supernatural being or deity as required to have a deeply spiritual life. That’s because I understand spirituality as an aspect of who we are as human beings. Spirituality is part of us, not outside of us.
Many people explain that human beings are made up of different aspects or dimensions. Perhaps the most common model is to say that we are made up of our mind, body, and spirit. If we use this model, then our mind is everything we think and feel. The thinking part is clear but let’s remember that emotions are part of our brain chemistry. We feel things based on what’s happening in our brains – or in this case, our minds. Our body is how we move in the world and how we encounter everything around us. People know us primarily because of our bodies. Then there’s spirit. The human spirit is complicated.
On the one hand, the human spirit energizes us. Spirit is the spark of life that animates us. We sometimes talk about people as being “full of spirit” or “spirited.” By that, we mean that someone has positive energy and is engaging. But spirit isn’t just about what’s inside of us. Spirit – our human spirit — connects us with things beyond us.
Think about experiences of awe and wonder. Perhaps that’s watching a sunrise or sunset. Or maybe it’s being captivated by music or art. Or maybe it’s the experience of playing with a child. Or even when hiking in the wilderness. Opportunities for awe and wonder are available to us in so many different ways. One traditional spiritual practice is simply to look up to the sky and pause and allow oneself to experience the wonder above us. Yes, wonder and awe are part of our spirits – the spiritual dimension of our lives.
It’s also our spirit that connects us with loved ones. When we share love with another, a family member, a friend, or a sexual partner, we experience a connection that draws us outside of ourselves. It is an experience of intimate connection that is rooted in our spirit. Yes, that loving connection is spiritual.
The human spirit enlivens us and draws us to connection with every other aspect of our lives. These connections, connections between our human spirit and various aspects of our lives including people, places, events, and special moments, are the basis for spirituality.
Consider what inspires you, draws you out of yourself, leads you to a sense of awe, or the feelings of love. All of these things are tied to your spirituality. Spirituality is part of who we are as human beings. A belief in a deity or higher power isn’t required. Instead, what is required is an understanding of who we are as human beings.
I feel it was important how you emphasized key words like connections, transcendence and meditation. This are important words to spirituality. I am a believer in God yet listening to this I can see how those of a belief in no god can tap into the spiritual sphere as that adds purpose and meaning to life..