In search of soul

 

In search of our spiritual self  

  

As I have listened to people's life stories over the years, I have come to realise that, whether we are religious or not, all of us are spiritual beings. All of us are spirit and soul as well as mind and body. Our spirituality is a fundamental part of the very fabric of our humanity. Whether we recognise and embrace our spiritual self or not, it is always there within us, always open to us, always waiting to be attended to. Many of us have learnt to see spirituality as being almost synonymous with religion. To be spiritual, as we see it, is to be religious. If we do not believe in some kind of supernatural being or force, if we have not committed ourselves to a particular religious tradition, then we often think of ourselves as not being spiritual. ​​​At one time in my life, that is how I understood spirituality too.  

​

What I have come to understand, however, is that our spirituality is many-faceted. It is not only our sensitivity to the spiritual dimension of our experience. It is not only the physical sensations which flood our bodies and the heady mix of feelings that flow through us when we sense that mysterious other dimension of reality that the philosopher William James called 'the More'. It is not only the thoughts, images, metaphors and symbols that surface in our minds as we seek to penetrate its mystery. It is not only the everyday things we do in our search for a deeper connection with the More.  For it is also our way of being. It is the way in which we live out the ultimate beliefs and values we hold as we engage with each other and with the world around us. It is the fruits that our spirituality bears in our lives and the way in which these are lived out in our actions.    But

 

​