SBNR

I was fascinated by an article in today's paper, written by the Dean of the Chapel at a nearby university.  She described a movement she referred to as SBNR, which stands for 'spiritual but not religious', and went on to say that the SBNR movement is the largest growing segment of the population today, with an increasing number of people who describe themselves that way.  These are, of course, those who are suspicious of  'organized religion' in all its forms.  There was surely a time when I would have described myself that way as well.

But I have been enlightened, at least somewhat, by life, experience, faith, and wisdom.  You see, ever since the first altar was built, or the ten commandment tablets were placed in the ark of the covenant to be preserved,  matters of belief, faith, religion have been 'made mainfest', or taken on some earthly or temporal or structural form.  Even God 'himself' took on flesh and became incarnate. (*Christian understanding)   I think it is virtually impossible to separate faith matters into any hard and fast categories of the spiritual, the religious, the physical.

In the SBNR lingo, 'religious' is probably intended to mean 'of the institutional church'.  Being spiritual, then would be about interest in the sacred,  having questions about the meaning of life,  knowing one's own soul, etc. (without any of that being formalized).  It is an interesting distinction and also dilemma.  Religions all were 'built'/ 'born' out of spiritual urges and inclinations and experiences,  whether that is Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism or other.  Then, over time, those with a particular spiritual inclination developed traditions, beliefs, a unique language and culture.

Perhaps it is simply human nature that any spiritual leaning will mature and eventually become institutionalized. I think of those who want to simply be spiritual and pray and meditate all the time.  Even the pious require an institutional structure to provide convents, and monasteries for spiritual practices.

Maybe the best way to think about spirituality is:   living as much as possible in the grace of God.   Still, our humanity keeps that from being a permanent state.  Instead we build structures and programs, and give birth to religions.  But unlike the SBNR folks, I'm not sure I think that is all bad, as long as the natural processes of death and resurrection also apply to churches.