Spirituality = Laziness

Today I had a for real “coffee shop” conversation. I was sitting, minding my own business, looking mousey, when someone asked me if I was a writer. If I was smart, I would have said, “yes,” but I’m still slow to the uptick and said, “nope, I’m a minister.” I even think I felt proud about this declaration. In response, this person told me how he is very spiritual, leaning towards the Zen side of faith and views everyone religious as prophets on equal ground. Yawn.

To be fair, this individual seemed to really know his stuff, knew what he was talking about so he may be the exception to the rule. The rules are:

1. When someone says, “I am spiritual” that person does not put any real time or energy into his or her own faith and wants to avoid any sense of guilt for sleeping in on Sunday mornings. 
2. When someone says, “I like Zen” (or any other Eastern religion) it means that he or she wants to seem radical, enlightened, or beyond Christianity but still spirituality grounded to some kind of tradition. Again, it is most likely to avoid the guilt thing.

I want to stress one more time that the person I was talking to seemed to take his stance kind of seriously (or I may just be writing this in case he happened to be reading this right now and I can’t bear the thought of someone not liking me). Yet by in large the rules tend to stand. Why is this a problem? For me it is the same as saying, “I like Italian food” and only eating Chef boyardee or only eating out at Olive Garden. Or saying, “I’m into art” and stocking their house with all of the five dollar artwork that is sold at local auctions (what I term ‘Hotel Art’) or Thomas Kinkade (I am holding the vomit back as I write those words).

First, if you are into Buddhism, Zen or not, then really be into it. Meaning, join a community, go to regular worship, and become fully immersed into the tradition. It only works if you are fully into it and make a commitment. This is actually true of all reputable faith traditions – you have to go all in or don’t go at all.

Second, try to get a clue what “spiritual” means because I really have no idea and think you (the universal you, that is) don’t have an idea as well. If it means finding peace in nature than read some of the transcendentalists, hug a tree, and go to a Unitarian Universalist church. After all, you can’t have enough Emerson and Thoreau in your life.

If being “spiritual” means seeing good in everyone, then join the Optimist club if they even still exist. I doubt that they do.

If being “spiritual” means believing in Jesus, believing in God, but rejecting the church and all that it stands for then you are a hypocrite (ha!). If you really believe in Jesus and follow him, and if you really believe in the God that Jesus represents then you will realize that God/Christ calls for relationships and community. You can’t be a believer or follower without being a part of a community or you are rejecting the relational aspect of God. Yup, pretty harsh, but there it is.

So, get your lazy, “spiritual” a** off the sofa and do something, get involved, even if it means joining a Unitarian Universalist church. Shudder.