Revelation and modern spirituality

There is a very interesting phenomenon underway in the modern world – one very worth studying and understanding. The world of religion is, in much of the world, in an advanced state of decay, with churches reporting ever-declining membership and attendance, and more and more people self-reporting as unaffiliated with any official church or religion. Yet against this backdrop of apparent Godlessness, is a surge of interest in “spirituality” in a wide variety of forms.

I think it is safe to interpret this to mean, broadly speaking, that while the average person’s trust in old religious institutions is fading, the basic human need for spiritual meaning, context, and connection is as strong as it ever was. And it is being met, these days, by what might be termed “modern spirituality.”

Some revel in its freedom and celebrate the end of the religious institution. For the British writer William James, “the spirit of politics and the lust of dogmatic rule are apt to enter and to contaminate the originally innocent thing.” Very true. The great apostasy that drew its dark shades on European Christianity not long after the death of Jesus’ apostles is a case in point. Yet a spirituality that is nothing more than an eclectic selection of “whatever pleases me most at the moment” is hardly a serious attempt to reach, understand, and connect with the divine.

Sadly, modern spirituality fails its followers in precisely the area where it ought to excel: revelation. The religious institution has an unfortunate tendency: it makes its members lazy and spiritually dependent on it. Rather than provoke an intense search for the divine – and provide the adherent guidance and assistance in that endeavor – religious institutions often become crutches for their followers. The latter come to delegate all questions of spiritual relevance to the institution. When an issue arises, followers tend to respond – often subconsciously – with “well, what does the church say?” rather than giving the matter serious thought and reflection, and seeking God for truth on the matter.

This is truly unfortunate. One should never thoughtlessly delegate questions of serious spiritual importance to an institution. Never let the religious institution think or feel for you! The role of the institution ought to be to help you connect to the divine – not to serve the role of an agent who manages your spirituality for you so you don’t have to be bothered.

In theory, you would think that modern spirituality would shine in this department. Without the institution to rely on, individuals engaging in modern spirituality would be forced to seek the divine on their own and tackle difficult questions personally – thus exposing the individual more directly to God.

Alas, this is not the case. Modern spirituality in many cases appears to be little more than a way to replace former institutional religious duties and obligations with something far less onerous. Modern spirituality, it seems, is often little more than a cheap excuse for not getting up for church on Sundays, not an impassioned quest for the divine.

In view of this weakness, let me suggest to everyone – adherents of official religions as well as the free spirits of the spiritual age – that no true religion, religiosity, or spirituality of any kind can exist without revelation. Without direct, personal communication with the divine, an individual’s spirituality is as lifeless as sodden ash. And this applies equally well to members of official religions as to the independently spiritual.

But how does one go about communicating with God? Now that is truly a question of immense importance – yet one that is almost frivolously passed over by the faithless and faithful alike, as if it were obvious. I want to shed some small amount of light on the subject through a simple analogy:

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­If you had a quiet, soft-spoken friend who had something important he wanted to tell you, what would you do? Ask him to text you? Or send you an email? Would he likely want to have a conversation with you at a boisterous party, or while you’re busy with work? If you knew this friend well and valued his advice, you would invite him over on a rainy day for hot chocolate. You would put your favorite quiet music on in the background, and you would happily and gently invite your friend in. You would sit together, just the two of you, at a table, sipping your hot chocolate, reminiscing about past experiences together. You would appreciate each other’s friendship and company, and you would tell your friend how grateful you are for his friendship, for his love; how grateful you are that he cares about you.

And at some point during this conversation – and it might happen suddenly – you will know why he came, and what it was he wanted to tell you. And you will wonder why you don’t do this more often.

It is my experience that God is indeed soft spoken. Unlike parents of rambunctious children, he won’t shout over the noise of your life to get your attention. The Bible and Book of Mormon describe God’s voice as a still, small, and perfectly mild. Definitely soft enough that you aren’t likely to notice it unless you’re listening for it.

So don’t forget to take the time to invite him in. The ancient art of searching, pondering, and praying has been lost on the world, I fear. The beauty of it, though, is it’s not something that you need a PhD in theology to do. All you need is a sincere heart, a quiet place (both literal and figurative), and a desire to uncover the truth. In our modern consumer culture, that may not sound very sexy. But true spirituality never was about consumption; it’s about revelation.