By Norman E. Anderson
Prayer? Spiritual commonplacing? Why so much spiritual stuff at this site?
No holier-than-thou attitude or wearing of religion on the sleeve is intended. In fact, I suspect that I am less religiously inclined than most, in terms of trappings, rituals, and routine pieties. Furthermore, I reject the denigration of the body sometimes associated with religion, and I revel in the scientific revelation of nature. Besides all of that, I am an intensely private person and "wearing religion on my sleeve" is quite contrary to my nature.
However, I have wrestled with faith in a deeply meaningful way for most of a lifetime, and I find that, if I am to be myself to any significant degree as a Net citizen, the results of that struggle must be an important part of my natural expression.
This does not mean that my spiritual musings are automatically any better than anybody else's; and, as far as I'm concerned, the more people who overcome the internalization of the quashing and squelching of individual spiritual expression the better. Such quashing is deeply rooted in many cultures, in part because of past oppression, in part because diversity has been read as divisive rather than as an opportunity for love. I say let the spiritual expression of the common person flower everywhere.
It seems that even this disclaimer needs a disclaimer. It is not intended to imply a dichotomy between spirituality and religion, or between spirituality and thought, or between spirituality and other dimensions of life. The bracketing of spirituality is destructive of its sometimes delicate nature.
For there was no rain in Paradise
because of the delicate construction
of the spiritual herbs and flowers.
Christopher Smart (1722-1771), Jubilate Agno 376
Posted November 7, 1997 by NEA; new url, Janaury 28, 2004; last modified, Janaury 28, 2004
Copyright ©1997-2004 by Norman E. Anderson