July 12, 2009
Dear People Whom God Loves,
SPIRITUAL JOURNEY I
Perhaps we have wondered what is meant by a spiritual journey. I can see various answers. The best answer for me is that the spiritual journey is growing in love and compassion.
Let me describe one way to look at the process this journey takes. This journey can be made both by those who believe in God and those who don’t believe. For believers, the Love we name God is involved in this process.
We start by seeing the “bad” things that mess up our lives . . . for example: lying, stealing, using our sexual desires in ways that hurt ourselves and others, injuring others physically and/or emotionally, using alcohol and other drugs in ways that lead to bad behavior.
This beginning of the spiritual journey is foundational. When all of these “bad” things are dominating our lives, we will not be able to go deeper into the spiritual journey. When we are reasonably successful in not having these behaviors dominate us, we then become able to enter more deeply into spirituality.
There is, however, a bridge that is necessary before going more deeply into spirituality. That bridge is being grateful that these “bad” things don’t dominate us as they used to. Unfortunately, we will be tempted to take pride and credit for what we have done. Then we will likely think that we are superior and better than those who have not been as successful as we have. This means we are still on an ego trip even though our behavior is better.
The paradox is that we can’t make ourselves get rid of this arrogance. If we could make ourselves get rid of it, we would just be arrogant about not being arrogant. All we can do, as I see it, is admit that the pride is there and be willing for it to go away. For us believers, it means giving it to God and acknowledging that we can’t do it by ourselves. In fact, I find this necessary along the whole journey. Sometimes the pride will leave us because of some tragic event in our lives or some unexpected love and understanding that occurs. Whatever the cause, as we feel grateful and humbled by our good fortune, we are more ready for the next step.
More next time.
Smile,
God Loves You,
Father Clay
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