My fiancee' and I frequent a restaurant in L.A. called Real Food Daily. The concept behind the name is that their food -- which is unprocessed, abundantly nutritious, and lovingly prepared -- is more authentic, more "real," than most other food. This claim is at once silly and wise. Silly because philosophers have argued about the true nature of "reality" for centuries. Wise because it's an admissible philosophy that the closer something is to its source, the more "real" it is.
This principle has universal applications. Original paintings are deemed more "real" than prints. Linguistically inventive people are deemed more "real" than those who repeat one-liners from TV. A head of lettuce is more "real" than a hot dog. My interest here is to compare organized spirituality to improvised spirituality. Is either one more real?
Needless to say, comparing these two entities is trickier (and more controversial) than comparing paintings and prints. Every moment of every day, a gentle battle occurs between those that attend religious ceremonies and those that just "believe in something."
How many people do you know that just "believe in something"? I've met far too many to keep count (and I myself belong, for the most part, to this group). They're a raw and ragtag bunch that's curious enough for exploration but too impatient for formalities. Which begs the question: do formalities enhance "real spirituality" or detract from it?
Let's cast aside our existential leanings (if any) and assume that there is in fact -- for lack of a more evocative term -- a spirit world. If this is the case, then all of us are intrinsically connected to it, which means that accessing the spirit world (via prayer, visualization, intuition, etc.) requires no special passkeys. No torahs or rosary beads. No church walls or bemas. By this standard, we can kneel before garden hoses and find God in the pages of a phone directory.
Many of those that just "believe in something" like the sound of this. They tend to scoff in the face of organized religion. For them, all formally religious chants, prayers, rituals, and clothing are empty ornaments standing between the plain flesh of humanity and the sparkling blue rivers of eternity. I steer clear of such thinking.
To my mind, such formalities do not detract from real spirituality. Nor do they enhance it. Whereas the concept behind Real Food Daily is both silly and wise, the concept of Real Spirituality is just plain silly. All spirituality -- be it improvised, half-assed, or out of focus -- is authentic. Assuming, of course, that there is a spirit world.
Consider the realm of the spirit as a house with many doors. Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Islamism are widely practiced, so perhaps they enter through the front door. Modes like Scientology and Wicca are less conventional, so perhaps they enter through the side. And as for those of us that just "believe in something," we may lack a formal name, and we may enter through the back, but I've no doubt that we reach the same place.
About The Author
Eric Shapiro is the author of "Short of a Picnic," a collection of fiction about people living with mental disorders. He is at work on his first novel.
Whadda ya know?Seriously. With absolute certainty, what do you know?... Read More
Meeting someone so attractive, so beautiful. Your heart beats like... Read More
Last month, one of my readers needed a new car.... Read More
I can truly say to this day of August, 2005,... Read More
Can I be honest with you? There are days when... Read More
You will become as great as your dominant aspiration...If you... Read More
I love rivers. I have for many years lived away... Read More
God poetry is one of my favorite genres, although I... Read More
One of the first issues people on the spiritual path... Read More
In a recent article entitled "Some Evidence of How We... Read More
'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom... Read More
As Christians, we know we need God in every aspect... Read More
1. Identify a woman who is "like minded," who has... Read More
The ultimate purpose of dreaming is to provide you with... Read More
Sometimes, in traveling a path, we discover a short-cut, and... Read More
What is a Christian? According to The American HeritageŽ Dictionary... Read More
Whether we admit it or not, we operate by emotion.... Read More
We hear this word so often and have one thing... Read More
It has long been surmised that emotional trauma can lead... Read More
A subject of debate for thousands of years, spirituality will... Read More
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, "Go, assemble... Read More
While it isn't my intention to insult anyone (Alright, for... Read More
Sounds like a tall order doesn't it? But I think... Read More
You decide! We are often asked to make decisions. Decision... Read More
I was reminiscing with a friend recently about his 'dark... Read More
Many people are awakening today to the idea that the... Read More
I have a big mouth. If you have read my... Read More
If we don't behave according to a specific church's doctrine,... Read More
Everything was going wrong.The weight of the world had decided... Read More
I'm not sure Paul had the Japanese culture in mind... Read More
An Illuminatus Speaks:You will have to decide if this Illuminatus... Read More
Be filled with the Spirit.? always giving thanks to God... Read More
Obviously, if you really want to learn about the meanings... Read More
The question, "Is God Dead?", first entered my consciousness when... Read More
Forgiveness breaks all bounds of repression and depression. It liberates... Read More
Can you imagine being sent out into the wilderness for... Read More
In the responsibility we have as Christians, we are displayed... Read More
As a walked across the gym floor with perspiration coming... Read More
There is so much going on in the world around... Read More
There are many energy beings available to assist us in... Read More
I do not want curiosity seekers, who come for a... Read More
At first glance it does seem that law and grace... Read More
If any man be in Christ, he is a new... Read More
In the early 90's I had a spontaneous Kundalini Awakening... Read More
Let us face reality squarely in the face by acknowledging... Read More
Presently, many of us live in uncertainty. Due to the... Read More
Do you ever get into those moods where you just... Read More
We are the beneficiaries of the promise God made to... Read More
I cringed lower into the seat of my grey metal... Read More
In the year 2000, I went on a mission trip... Read More
I often ask myself this question. Not in the times... Read More
God !"My son will be brought up in a place... Read More
Most of life can be said to be bad, or... Read More
Last week I talked about the need to practice emotional... Read More
Many of us have been taught that it is wrong... Read More
Your creative gift has power.God was the first and still... Read More
We are living in highly challenged times. Our mass consciousness... Read More
Matthew 2:19-23 The Return to Nazareth19 But when Herod died,... Read More
Self-actualization comes down to three basic premises: this is who... Read More
Did you ever know somebody who easily accumulates wealth? If... Read More
The Emmaus Journal What is Wrong With Being Common? This... Read More
Attract and hold your family at home with some unique... Read More
We all hear of the concept of the "Enlightened Master",... Read More
It will all be clear in a minute, but first... Read More
Billy Graham once said, "Being a Christian is more than... Read More
We have to go through some unfortunate experiences sometimes in... Read More
Spirituality |