What do you envision when you think about spirituality? I picture quiet and stillness; calm, silence, spaciousness and depth for my soul. These are the experiences I want to share with others and I sometimes struggle to envision the breadth of spirituality that exists in the Christian tradition and gives meaning to other people.
As a mom of teenagers and an education assistant I am privileged to be surrounded by people with diverse abilities, learning styles and ways of being in the world. Some struggle to find their place in a world that doesn’t fully understand them; people with varied ways of being in the world and those who can struggle to understand and accept themselves. I feel privileged that the people I share my life with are constantly teaching me to broaden my understanding of what is authentic: how people learn and experience the world around them and what holds deep meaning for them. These experiences have prompted me to wonder how to nourish the spiritual lives of such a diversity of God’s people. I offer you some thoughts about creating a broad and diverse understanding of spirituality that holds room for everyone.
At the core of every human is the desire for connection and belonging. I believe this is the starting place for our journey. Everyone desires a sense of belonging, of connection, of safety, of being seen, accepted and understood. That is what we want for ourselves and for our children and grandchildren. Shared spirituality can provide this when we remember to make space for people with a variety of needs and abilities. Spirituality is about connecting with the sacred, knowing that we are beloved children of God, finding meaning and purpose in our call to serve the needs of the world. This looks different for each of us. Celebrate and encourage the noise makers, the wigglers and movers, the questioners, the disbelievers, the stubborn ones, the shy and anxious ones, the centre-stage confident ones, the jokesters, the ones who struggle silently, those with little to say, and those who live boisterously. Hold space for the confident ones and those who struggle with self-acceptance who lack self-love and understanding.
In our zeal to share our own meaningful spiritual practices we may be leaving people out. I prefer stillness and quiet while other people need to dance and sing, debate and argue, run and jump in order to connect with the sacred. Some need space, nature, creative outlets. Others need predictable patterns and known expectations in order to open themselves to encounter the holy. Some people are grounded in their senses of touch, sound, smell and sight while some struggle to hear, to move, or need time to think before they act. Encouraging people to try something new is good, but requiring people to do something beyond their abilities is unfair and isolating. Start small and simple. Invite someone to join you in a practice that you find meaningful. Invite people to draw a picture of gratitude, sing a song, dance out their feelings, sit quietly while you hold their hand, or share their hopes and concerns with you as you pray together. Attune yourself to others needs and open up space to make room for what makes other people comfortable. Offer love and acceptance. Share what is meaningful to you and ask others to share the same with you. Let us hold ourselves open to growing in our own spiritual lives through the diversity in our communities. By sharing with one another, our joy is multiplied and we are all drawn deeper into the boundless love of God.
