Spirituality: Session Nine A

Session Summary - A Discussion on "Experience"

Taking the lead from Waldo's "Experience" essay, we discussed what it means to be authentic to our own inner "apertures", the various unique, individual soul perspectives we take on reality. Often, if not always, the most important ingredient in understanding what is is real is our inner lense or way of seeing, not the object in front of us. Often we forget this most vital fact, and look away from our own aperture towards "greener pastures" that promise (but ultimately fail) to provide security, hope and inspiration.

As Emerson so eloquently notes: (Paraphrased) Grass is always greener elsewhere. We really do not know who we are. Even our "hits" - our "aha's" - of inspiration are accidents. Sleepyheadedness overtakes us usually. Routine and custom abound. To be truly human is a golden impossibility.

Paul says this truth has to do the temporality of life. We all have such different grids and paradigms in which we operate from. But when a conflict of perspectives turns messy does this mean we can respond like victims and say "I just can't help it, it's just the way I am?" The choice becomes increasingly ours as we explore our own subjectivity. We can continue to respond with defensive literalizations or acknowledge honest humility.

A goal of an authentic life would be to live with disinterested detachment - where we can set aside our personal paradigm, if only for a while, and appreciate the unique framework of another. To respectfully get inside the subjectivity of another is to love that person.

Truth, after all, is self-evident and beyond our control. Unfortunately we tend to exhaust ourselves by trying to hold onto our small versions of reality rather than accepting larger more universal versions. We need to learn how to live with spontaneity and surprise. The key is Self-trust, or trust in the Christ of all reality.

We talked about the relationship between spiritual power and form or structure. Charismatic religion is all about power without structure, whereas most other organized religions are about all form and no power. What would an appropriate spirituality look like that incorporated both the fire of power and the tradition of structure? The discussion shifted to our current group context. As a group we seem to be able to resource each other for spiritual growth but perhaps lack the appreciation of the larger circle. Another way of stating this is how can we incorporate the best of our past "Christian" faith into our current paths? Obviously, these choices are best made at the individual level, and we may come out with different answers to the same question.

One of our great mistakes is the tendency to believe that "if I do this, than this other particular thing (which we want very badly!) will happen". An alternative is to be attentive to the "circles" of faith happening right before our very eyes. To paraphrase Emerson again, could we try treating ourselves and each other as if we were real?!

Bev noted that hearing a funeral eulogy with some work colleagues was mysteriously humanizing. It made her realize that she was part of the same great tradition as others.

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