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Sunday, January 24, 2021

Spiritual Courage

"Courage is knowing what not to fear." ~ Plato


I admit it.  I'm not as brave as I'd like to be.  I'm talking about this thing I seem to have spontaneously labeled "Spiritual Courage".

What is it, exactly?  Can I meaningfully express it?

I could say it has to do with authenticity, and it does, but that's not quite it.  That's not what I'm getting at today.

What I'm getting at could have to do with spiritual experiences, but that's not how I'm using the term.  That is not to say exploring spirituality itself is generally a timid exercise - it's not.  But that's not what I'm talking about today.

We aren't bold enough, in the ways we need to be, and I'm talking about being bold about being a spiritual person.

I had an encounter with a neighbor yesterday, as I was getting my mail, and we were talking about Covid and isolation.  She commented on how (not quite recalling what word she used) "chipper" I am.  Yes, I think she used the word "chipper".  (She could tell, even under my mask.) I told her I'm not that way all of the time, but I do appreciate my simple life.  She spoke of how this isolation can get a person down sometimes.  And then I found a bit of courage, the kind of courage I'm talking about, but not in a "pushy" way.  This isn't about proselytizing - it's more about honesty.  I said that mindfulness really helps me.  First I used that gentle word.  And then I went a step farther and said that I'm a spiritual person, and I think I may have even said that I'm a very spiritual person (Did I really say "very"?), and then I realized afterwards there are about a gazillion ways that could be interpreted, with a gazillion labels.

I wasn't talking about labels.  What I was attempting to express is actually quite simple.  Spirituality is an integral part of my life.  And yet it takes courage to be honest about that, these days.  In some ways, if I look back honestly, it's always been important, or at least my curiosity about it.  But I'm not looking back right now.  I'm talking about Now.  In this moment Now, it's important.  It has made every bit of difference in my day to day life and gives me astonishing peace.  Am I always at peace?  Of course not.  But when I compare the peace of my life now to the more worrisome self I used to be (yes, I still do worry sometimes), it makes a huge difference.

And it's not only that.  We need to be more open about Spirituality.  I used to be able to do it in the discussion forums - I could write reams and reams and reams of Spiritual material in those days - under a pseudonym.  And I suppose I had my radio show (which, oddly, I almost forgot about), but it kind of got afield of what I had intended originally.  It was thought to be one of the best independent spiritual podcasts around, and it's not over yet.  But I found I tended to "agree" too much when I would have preferred a lively discussion.  Not always, but too often.  It was never intended to be an infomercial, yet sometimes it felt that way.

Spiritual courage expresses itself openly.  Perhaps I diminish it by suggesting it is necessarily dogmatic, that there would be anything to "agree" about at all, if we are talking about an experience of peace.  It's not just an experience of peace.  It's an experience of feeling very Loved.  Divine Love is like that.  Omnipresent Love is like that.  People often feel awkward talking about such things.  Heck, I used to call in on national radio and openly express these things.  Do I really feel I'm not courageous?

But I'm talking about this moment.  This moment.  Now.  You see, because people don't understand Spirituality, especially lately.  There is this tendency to suggest it is damaging, or label it as "contrary to science" (which it's not, not real science) or whatever.  It's taking more and more courage these days to speak up and say, boldly, that Spirituality is not a "threatening" concept.  It is absolutely the opposite.  It is more than "mindfulness", though that is how I gingerly stepped into the concept with my neighbor.  I wasn't attempting to convince her or even describe it - I was just stating a fact.  I'm not even sure the term "mindfulness" applies to me.  I do know "mindfulness" experts who could give you many steps.  That wouldn't be me.  

It's a way of life.

It's a way of BEING.

And I feel that it's IMPORTANT.

And you see, there's the courage part, as now I am appearing to say:  Not just for me.  (Of course not, but in this particular case, I'm talking about my own experience - many people have this experience, so let's be clear, I'm not saying they don't.)

We NEED more of it.  Not less.  And that is my concern.  Like it's somehow not "logical" to pursue (and I feel it's actually the opposite), or that it is even harmful (nothing could be farther from the truth).  I see it being boxed up and labeled and diminished and disparaged these days, by so-called "skeptics".  And it isn't quite what people tend to think, not at the center of it.  Oh yes, it can be many, many things, and perhaps I'll get into some of them at some point, but I'm not talking about that.

The Center.  What is it?

You FEEL it.  It HELPS.  We need MORE of this, not less.  That's what I'm saying.

And I suppose by saying it, I'm being just a little bit more courageous.  And I sense that is a very good thing.  If you want to know the truth, it is entirely logical, what this is.  So if you think that it isn't, that's a misunderstanding.  Oh yes, it's mysterious as well, in fact, entirely miraculous.  (Yet what is a "miracle"?)  I feel there will come a time when more and more of us will realize that there is much, much more to this world than meets the eye.  And when we look at it, we are even able to do so analytically.  It is not unintelligent.  It is not ignorant.  It is not denial of reality.  It is not any of these things.  It can even be provable.  If you want to know the truth, I will tell you what it is, whether you believe me, or not, because I've found my courage.  What it is...It is REAL.  To see it is to see.  But a person generally must be willing to look.

 

 

Blue Skies photo by Susan Larison Danz.

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