When we think of the word “spirituality” itself, many images come to mind; some positive, some negative. In his book, Holy Longing: The Search for Christian Spirituality, Ronald Rolheiser describes spirituality as our response to the desire, the unrest, the longing, the hunger that lie within all human beings. As St. Augustine has put it, “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Our spirituality is the way we handle our longings, our pain and sorrow, our hope and joy as we move, live and act on these longings. In short, spirituality is what we do with the unrest that lies in each of us.
For many, spirituality seems something too supernatural, too unworldly, too mysterious; it is not something the ordinary Joe and Jane would practice. Yet, we all have a spirituality. Rolheiser explains it beautifully, “Long before we do anything explicitly religious at all, we have to do something about that fire that burns within us. What we do with that fire, how we channel it, is our spirituality… What shapes our actions is our spirituality. Because what shapes our actions is what shapes our desire. Desire makes us act and when we act what we do will either lead us to a greater integration or disintegration within our personalities, minds, and bodies – and to the strengthening or deterioration of our relationship to God, others, and the cosmic world.”
The habits and disciplines we choose to live by will put us on the path to either a life-giving journey or a destructive one. A spirituality that is wholistic will keep us balanced giving us a sense of who we are, where we came from, and where we are going. As we yearn to give a name to the fire that burns within us, a healthy spirituality will energize us, make us alive to be a part of the world in which we live and work, and help us to keep the balance between order and chaos.
In light of this article,
- What are the habits and disciplines that shape your desire, your longings, the fire that burns within you?
- Are these habits and disciplines helping you in your daily living? Is there a greater integration or disintegration in your life?
We invite you to reflect on these questions as you move into opening yourself to God’s desire for you and your desire for God?
