Keys of Spirituality - Essay Example

? Keys of Spirituality I.D. of the Keys of spirituality Spirituality of Ecclesiology In the ancient world, human civilization was constrained in certain parts of the planet. For example, civilized people in Europe did not know about contemporary human societies thriving in the Americas. So in the ancient times, religious beliefs and practices were related to relatively primitive social systems. Ecclesiology is basically the science of these practices and beliefs. As in the case of Christianity, practices and beliefs in conjugation with different rituals give rise to the valued ecclesial heritage of the Christians (Rolheiser 1999). With the lapse of time, contacts between peoples across the continents increased. And in the last century we have seen people to people contacts have increased almost exponentially. This has resulted into cultural assimilation as well as cultural skirmishes (Woo 2009). Consequently, ecclesial praxis has emerged. Now under the realm of greater spirituality, the specific ecclesial issues are more significant than ever. How should a Christian behave in Europe? And how should he or she behave in India? What should a Christian do when America’s federal government wishes to include sex education even in most conservative educational institutions? How should Christians adjust with their non Christian neighbors? These are few of the questions which are directly related to the ecclesial dimensions of Christian spirituality. In a more heterogeneous and cosmopolitan world, Christian beliefs, practices, and rituals should be made more contemporary with the help of a proper understanding of our ecclesiological heritage. Spirituality of Paschal Mystery Paschal mystery is perhaps one of the most essential components of Christian spirituality. In the sphere of complex modern civilization, it appears to be a real mysterious concern that how the pious nuns and monks remain aloft from worldly sins and prejudices. Ardent followers of Christ, as mentioned in the Christian texts, managed to maintain similar or greater moral values and God fearing characteristics in life. Paschal mystery is thus the branch of theology and spirituality that distinguishes between a common church and a holy pilgrimage. The priests and bishops are classically entrusted with this responsibility. Religious leaders must find out which places have special relevance in religious philosophy and how common people can be benefited by building shrines and monasteries. Paschal mystery opens up the doors for the common people to reach out and live up to the expectations of angels and divine beings. In this way, even a most common man might be able to enter into some kind of dialogue with God during pilgrimage (Rolheiser 1999). Spirituality of Justice and Peacemaking Humans are social creatures, and they have established civilizations and complex systems with their power of invention and intellectual ability. Therefore, we must understand our social systems in an intelligent and intellectual manner. Justice and peacemaking is a prime socio-behaviorist concept derived directly from the Gospel and the New Testament. In this specific realm of spirituality, the common people are taught to remain pious and good towards each other. Spirituality of justice and peacemaking eventually drives us toward intellectual maturity. We are then able to forgive and love even the fiercest of our enemies. Rolheiser (1999, p. 188-189) writes, “In the world’s schema of things, survival of the fittest is the rule. In God’s schema, survival of the weakest is the rule.” This is how the concept of justice and peacemaking has been laid down in Christianity. In this way, being God fearing and religious means that the true Christian will exhibit spiritual behavior by the means of the virtues like love, charity, forgiveness, and compassion. Spirituality of Sexuality But in the contemporary world, sex is time and again regarded as something that we must enjoy. Therefore, today in our society we have things like seductive lingerie, topless bars and sex toys. However, if we are to believe Jesus Christ and take heed of his teachings, then God has not created us for such kind of trivial purposes. Sex for mere enjoyment is nothing but a kind of self destruction. So spirituality of sexuality is all about the conception of healthy sexual practices. God did not intend us to indulge in self-delusion. Instead, sex is rather meant for relationship building and fraternizing. These objectives cannot be met if humans run after their obsessive fantasies and want for compulsive practices like masturbation. That is why it is extremely necessary to understand what is natural and normal sex and how Christian spirituality can help us to understand this subject in a holistic and practical manner. Organizations like The Grace Counseling Center (2013) are relentlessly and practically attempting to convey this massage of God. This massage is all about the spirituality of sexual practices. The spirituality of sexuality explains how the sexual partners should behave during active sex so that they can maintain both mutual respect and confidence. Rolheiser (1999) points out that healthy sexual relationship between husband and wife can help to have a healthy and content family. Otherwise events of spousal abuse and estrangement can lead to more serious social problems that can shake up the very basis of religion and theology. Sustaining Spiritual Life Spiritual life is not a concept but an entire conception. If we know what one’s spiritual life is, then that information does not suffice our spiritual living on the basis of a simple and conceptual understanding. Instead, we need an array of information that will help us to understand the different keys of spirituality. Then, every spiritual aspect of life should be conjoined with each other to build up the very essence of spiritual life as a whole. For example, suppose there is a kind and loving man who does charity and regularly helps his needy neighbor. However, this man might be indulging in a self destructive activity like masturbation. In that case, he is adhering to spirituality of justice and peacemaking. But his sexual life has become self delusive. So now such a man must be shown the right path. He should be told that the way toward a completely spiritual life cannot be journeyed without understanding spirituality of sexuality too. So if we intend to sustain ourselves in our respective spiritual lives, the first thing is that we should acquire proper education regarding religion. This education on religion must include its practical importance. Mere theoretical understanding of the theological concepts is not enough to lead a spiritual life. If we remain unaware about certain aspects of spiritual life such as the paschal mystery, we can never redeem ourselves. Spirituality thus emerges as a practical, scientific topic of contemplation. Ultimately, if we are able to sustain ourselves in our basic spiritual pursuits as a whole, then we can lead a happy life. Doing healthy sex, being kind, and understanding the importances of religion are certain key things that we must accomplish practically. Else, we will not be able to achieve our spiritual goals leading to an incompleteness of personality and behavior. References Rolheiser, R. (1999). The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality. New York: Doubleday. The Grace Counseling Center. (2013). Spirituality of Sexuality Boot Camp: Eight Weeks of Restoration. Detroit: Author. Retrieved on 15th November 2013 from Woo, R.M. (2009). The Color of Church: A Biblical and Practical Paradigm for Multiracial Churches. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group. Read More