11 Observations About The Spiritual Journey

I do not pretend or desire to be any sort of authority about the journey of life. I am merely a traveler on this trip with everyone else. With that being said, I do love thinking and talking with others about what I have come across. It always strikes me as curious that we all seem to encounter similar patterns, yet we tend to keep them to ourselves.

Below, you will find 11 of my observations about the spiritual journey. I am sure that many who read this will find them simple, plain, or obvious. My hope in writing this is not to teach, but simply to note my own findings. I have chosen to share some more personal aspects because I have been helped by writers who have opened up their own lives to me. I think that by sharing our inner lives with the world, we can help others feel less alone on their journey.

I have ended every observation with a quote from Jesus. The quotes may or may not have to do with my observation. Regardless of whether you agree with the Christian claim that Jesus was God incarnate, I think everyone can receive wisdom from him. 

For all of these observations, I want to be very clear that I have not mastered any of these virtues. I struggle nearly every day to live into the positive side of my humanity. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I do not. I offer these not as tips, but merely as observations. I do not assume they will apply to everyone, though I hope they may resonate with some.

I have found my spiritual journey to be just that—a journey. It has not been linear. I have days when I feel totally aligned with God and the universe, and I have days when I am filled with doubt and wonder whether I am playing "make-believe." I try not to force anything on this journey, which I have found to be helpful. I know there are some spiritual concepts or experiences that I am simply not ready to accept or experience right now, and I am trying to make peace with that.

I personally like to use the word “God.” For me, it gives a certain amount of respect to what I am talking about and makes me aware of when I am making “gods” out of things that are not God. That being said, I understand when people have trouble with the word. For some, it can bring up ideas of a ruthless ruler in the sky or evoke a sense of patriarchy that they have been hurt by. It does not evoke those things for me, but all of us have been hurt by different stories, communities, or individuals.

The word is just a descriptor, not the actual spiritual entity. If “Higher Power,” “Universe,” “Mother Nature,” “Buddha,” “Krishna,” or “Allah,” etc., feel more appropriate for you, use them, and do not worry about judgment from others. Language is not capable of describing what we feel anyway. 

I really struggle with judgment. From little things like judging my lunch to big things like judging people, it is hard for me to just let things be as they are. Judgment gets in the way of empathy and makes me “other” people. It makes me forget that we are all made up of the same physical and mystical elements, while also being on our own unique journey.

I have found that if I give (money or time) a bit more than I am comfortable with, I am often surprised by the ways I end up receiving in return. Of course, the reward is not the point, and if I am giving in order to receive, it is not genuine generosity.

Praying for our enemies is perhaps the hardest and most important aspect of the spiritual journey. 

I have really struggled with Donald Trump’s presidency, especially during his second term. I find our worldviews to be quite different, and I have found it hard to bridge the empathy gap with him. If you are reading this and feel the same way about a different politician, perhaps on the other side of the political spectrum, I think you can simply replace Trump’s name with whichever leader you disagree with most. This observation is not about which side is right or wrong. 

I have found that if I do not pray for Trump in the same way that I pray for leaders I admire, I tend to ruminate and become hateful. Praying for someone is not the same as condoning their actions; for me, it is merely acknowledging that they are a human being on their own path and in need of God’s love. It is acknowledging that there is no ‘us’ versus ‘them’; there is only ‘us’ trying to live in communion with each other and ourselves. 

It is also worth acknowledging that many (though not all) people with immense material wealth or power are spiritually unwell and are in need of prayer for that reason.

I like to think of the spiritual journey as a process of unfolding. Joining religious groups, yoga studios, meditation clubs, friendships, and other communities feels best when we genuinely want to. I do not let other people try to convert me, and I am not interested in converting others.

Joining my current church, the Congregational Church of Brookfield, was one of the happiest days of my life. It marked a season of healing and entry into a community that loved me for no other reason than believing I was worthy of love as a child of God.

Trying to convert someone is analogous to trying to make a flower bloom two months before it is ready. Better yet, it is like expecting a rose bush to produce lilies. Each has its own nature and unfolds in its own time.

I have found that I have only known God through loneliness and community. Both have been essential to my journey, and both have been painful at times. I have often found myself oscillating between loneliness and an inability to cope with the intimacy that comes with close relationships. This tension is something I hope will become easier to navigate as I progress, but nevertheless, both are necessary.

In my faith tradition, the United Church of Christ, we discern in solitude and affirm in community. I have made many bad decisions because I did not seek the opinions of others, just as I have made many bad decisions because I listened too closely to the opinions of others. Incorporating both is a delicate dance.

I have always found politics and current events to be interesting. One of my greatest temptations is to follow the news too closely. I have found that the language used by the media I consume has a profound impact on how connected I feel to the universe. On either side of the political spectrum, when I listen to people who call their opponents names and use language as a means of attack, I feel spiritually sick. I have found that I do not need to "tune out," but merely seek out voices that use more neutral or peaceful language.

I have found that drugs, alcohol, and medicine have, at times, been both helpful and harmful to my spiritual journey. I think it is an extremely personal matter whether someone chooses to partake in them or not.

I take Duloxetine, an SNRI antidepressant, every day. It has been life-changing in treating my severe OCD and tendency toward major depressive episodes. Even though it has effectively treated my mental illness, it has also brought serious side effects that negatively impact my life.

Similarly, I occasionally used cannabis in my early twenties because it helped me see that there was more to life than the hyper-rational world I had created in my own mind. I no longer use it because of its depressive effects and because I no longer live in that hyper-rational world.

It goes without saying that these substances can be addictive and harmful for many people. My point is neither to encourage or discourage their use; in fact, it is the opposite. I believe these are deeply personal decisions that should be made with careful discernment, and even better, with the guidance of a doctor you trust.

One of my favorite stories is of Ram Dass giving psychedelics to highly spiritually developed beings in India, only to find that the drugs did not alter their consciousness at all.

10) The Internet is Ambivalent (at best) About Our Spiritual Health 

Social media is something I have lived with since I was ten years old. It has connected me to loved ones, and it has also divided me from them. It has allowed me to share my art and experience the beauty of other people's art. It has also lowered my self-esteem and shortened my attention span. 

I do not know what kind of person I would be if I had grown up without it; it is impossible to know. For now, I have decided that the benefits, in small doses, outweigh the harm. I allow myself to use Facebook and Instagram once a day for about five minutes.

Regardless, these companies exist to make a profit, not to enhance our well-being. They are happy to show me the most polarizing issues of the day while hiding my friends' beautiful faces from my feed, because they have calculated what will keep me engaged the longest.

I was only able to experience the love of Christ and God when I was open to it. Toward the end of college, I had lost faith in all my other ways of living, and I was desperate for something else. It was only when I surrendered my hyper-rational mind that I felt at peace.

On the other hand, during periods when I have felt spiritually disconnected, I tended to move through the world with a sense of skepticism. Skepticism can be healthy; it helps protect us from things we may not be ready for and from people who might take advantage of us. However, I also recognize that if I want to continue on my journey, I need to remain open.