Being “Spiritual” Is Just Not Enough
Embracing God to give life greater meaning
Experience undoubtedly shapes our worldview, the perception of how we see thing, people, and of life itself. Spending multiple weeks in an ICU waiting for a miracle, provided me an occasion to reflect more closely on the purpose of life. The reflections captured in this short essay took shape on January 6th, epiphany of our Lord. [1] But, they were not the fruit of coincidence but instead a serious milestone along my personal journey of understanding faith and religion.
Whether you live in a place shaped by the Western or Eastern religious traditions, it is quite improbable to have come into this world as person who never been exposed to either the idea of a God. And idea that is transcendent or one that is more aligned with the idea of immanence.
In the Western religious tradition, be it Judaism, Christianity or Islam, God is seen as transcendental, and is knowable through faith , through the belief in the validity of divine Revelation or through insights captured during moments of mysticism. In the tradition of Eastern philosophies the “religious” and mystical experience rests on immanence. These traditions the natural or supernatural may overlay with the both inner self and the external material world, and, in the most extreme cases, some may be seen as a…
