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.
