Connect with your spiritual self and experience joy

Do you remember when you had your first spiritual experience, that moment when you connected to The Divine? Perhaps it was as a child, in play. Perhaps, the first time you sat in meditation or walked in the woods or by the ocean. Perhaps it was the first time you experienced the Eucharist or tasted a freshly baked Challah or sat in wonder at a magnificent piece of music.

There are so many first encounters with The Divine that gave us pause, brought us to our knees or caused tears of joy to flow – so many and so valued. Life changed.

I was brought to these thoughts recently when a young man commented on my sense of joy and inquired as to my spirituality after a recent presentation I had given. His comments warmed my heart and gave me pause over several days following this soul-felt conversation about the chaos of daily life and our sense of spiritual presence. He offered a perspective we don't necessarily think about, and yet, at times, is clearly witnessed by others. I was grateful.

Yes, I have attended spiritual retreats – some for study and some for silent contemplation. Yes, I have sat in churches, temples and mosques as well as in fields and at the edges of many waters; I have found deep meaning in all of them.

I have participated in and led rituals from many traditions and held space in sacred circles of many rhythms. And I suppose, if you read this column regularly, that you share some of these experiences as well; contemplative practice has its place in our lives.

The ability to live in and balance both contemplation and action (as Richard Rohr teaches) is not a spiritual gift reserved for just a few. We are all, I believe, wired for it. The challenge is in the acknowledgement, awareness and choice to cultivate it. The grace to benefit from this balance is a gift. We must be willing to receive it, unwrap it and put it to good use.

My own practice, each morning, calls me out of sleep and leads me to the cushion to reach for spiritual passages of many traditions and then, to sit in silence and listen for that inner voice that helps me make meaning.

The Old and New Testaments, the Sufi poets, Jewish mystics and Buddhist teachers such as Losang Samten and Thich Nhat Hahn have been sources of valuable lessons in contemplation as well as tutorials on practical application in the frenetic energy called life.

The more I gave myself up to the sacred study of different paths, the more I have grown in my own sense of spirituality and faith and, I suppose, the more it becomes entwined in my being; it is not something I do, it has become who I am.

Beloved Readers, as we approach this season of summer “beach reading,” I invite you to sit in your own sacred space for grace and, perhaps, visit some of the sacred writings that delight your soul, open your heart, challenge your mind and, maybe even test your thinking. Allow your spirituality to shine in a world that, sometimes, needs a bit of polish or, at the very least, a bit of a healthy, summer tan.

The Reverend Dr. Deborah Darlington provides Inspirational Speaking on Interfaith practices and sacred celebrations for people of all traditions. She can be reached at GraceMatters@TheSpaceForGrace.com even while enjoying the summer!