“Our whole spiritual transformation brings us to the point where we realize that in our own being, we are enough. “ Ram Dass
When it comes to the spiritual life in Unitarian Universalism, there are those who declare it to be missing in action. Yes, the proverbial pendulum has swung in our denomination from hard core Humanism to an interest in a spiritual depth. For those of you who see “spiritual humanist” as an oxymoron, I highly recommend the book, “Reason and Reverence: Religious Humanism for the 21st Century” by William R. Murry, the former president of our Meadville Lombard seminary in Chicago.
When it comes to UU’s and spirituality, there is a lot of “cafeteria style” sampling of other traditions that we often remove from their context to call our own in a totally different context. Many of us are chasing our tails when it comes to exploring what “spirituality” is for us. The language that Murry uses in his book is that of “reason and reverence.” He also uses the words “awe” and “wonder.” For him, the discoveries of science enhance rather than erase the spiritual life. I was just watching a video on the life cycle of a butterfly and found myself saying out loud with awe and wonder, “Wow!”
We don’t need to chase every shiny penny when it comes to the spiritual life. As Ram Dass implies, it emerges from within us. He also adds something very important: we are enough just as we are. Transformation does not need to be a radical reforming of our lives. Spiritual transformation does not require that any of us wander in a desert for months. Spiritual transformation can simply bring us home to ourselves. To the realization that what emerges from within, is enough.
Rev. Lo