Observations on Spirituality

 

Dear Reader,

It came to my attention today that many things in our lives prove spiritual—even when we do not first recognize them as such.

Whether you agree with me or not, consider the gurgling of a baby or the laughter of a child. Ask yourself: How do these moments make me feel? If they lift your spirit or bring a smile, are you not responding to something greater than what can be measured or touched?

Spiritual experiences are not always dramatic flashes of light or burning bushes. More often, they are subtle—yet they change our mood and even our lives. I've heard them called “God Shocks.”

Years ago, while grieving the loss of my grandson, who died by suicide at the age of 21, I had such a moment. Almost unexpectedly, while speaking with a friend in the locker room at my gym, a minister and others nearby gathered around and created a prayer circle. In that moment of community and faith, my grief lifted just a little. I was no longer alone. I was being held—spiritually and emotionally—by others.

As William James once wrote:

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated… religious experiences are those moments when we sense our life has touched something eternal.”
— William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience

I believe those moments happen continually. Christ and the Holy Ghost do not sit on the sidelines. They are present in every play—supporting us in our pain and celebrating with us in our joy.

“And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains… but the Lord was not in the wind… and after the fire a still small voice.”
— 1 Kings 19:11–12

Sometimes we expect God in the noise or spectacle, but most often, He speaks in stillness.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost… shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance… Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…”
— John 14:26–27

This quiet guidance is available to all:

“The Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world… and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.”
— Doctrine and Covenants 84:45–46

President Gordon B. Hinckley once said:

“God is in the details of our lives. He watches over us. We are not alone.”

And President Russell M. Nelson has reminded us:

“The Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that can't come without it. We receive personal revelation as we live worthily and ask in faith.”

In those efforts—in seeking, in grieving, in small gestures of kindness—we are met with grace.

As Anne Lamott so beautifully put it:

“Grace means you're in a different universe from where you had been stuck, when you had absolutely no way to get there on your own.”

So I say: open your eyes and ears. Remove the blinders. Take off the headphones. Tune in. There is a world full of angels, seen and unseen. Miracles are all around. Believe in the love of God, and you are already more than halfway there.

Amen.