Spirituality and religion are powerful forces – whether for good or for evil. Spirituality can help us find the answers to some of our most profound existential questions or it can be used to manipulate and control us. It can bind people together in the cause of love, compassion, and making the world a better place or it can damage relationship and tear loved ones apart. Whether spirituality is a force for good or ill rests largely upon what form it takes – healthy or toxic. Here in Part Two, we explore what healthy spirituality looks like and how it enriches people’s lives.
Healthy spirituality is about repentance and forgiveness.
Rather than over-emphasizing sin and guilt, healthy spirituality is about redemption and healing. It’s about becoming aware of our immaturity, self-centeredness, and hurtfulness, then seeking forgiveness and making amends. We work to forgive those who wrong us and seek reconciliation when it’s safe and appropriate to do so
Healthy spirituality is about freedom.
Healthy spirituality is about freedom – of thought, belief, and choice. It’s about extending others and ourselves the freedom to choose what is good, as we are ready and able. We learn to do good because it pleases God and because it is good for us, not because we feel pressured or coerced into it or out of a sense of duty or obligation. Over time, we are trained to desire what is good and we find freedom from guilt.
Healthy spirituality is about heart-change and life transformation.
Rather than over-emphasizing right behavior and the keeping of rules, healthy spirituality focuses on the spiritual growth and maturity of the believer. The idea is that, as the individual grows in character and love; their behavior will necessarily change for the better.
Healthy spirituality is about love and acceptance.
It is always challenging for us to love and accept others who are different than us. Healthy spirituality is about accepting people for who they are and learning to love them well. In loving and being loved, just as we are, we find freedom from shame.
Healthy spirituality is direct and honest, but always loving.
Healthy spirituality acknowledges that there will be conflict, sometimes intense, among believers. But, mutual love and respect demand that we communicate assertively – bringing issues into the light and addressing them directly – and that we work to preserve relationships in the process.
Healthy spirituality is diverse.
The principles of healthy spirituality have been demonstrated among people of many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, from various religious backgrounds and faith traditions, all over the world, and for thousands of years. No one religion corners the market on healthy spirituality.
Healthy spirituality is inclusive.
It acknowledges that there’s a place for everyone at the table. Healthy spirituality recognizes the dignity and preciousness of each human being as a child of God. Healthy spirituality reminds us that what unites us is more important than what divides us.
Consider the inclusivity of this definition of spirituality, from author Brené Brown:
“Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning, and purpose to our lives.”
