Grounded in spirituality
The following passage was written by Texas Children’s Chaplain James Denham.
This pandemic stretches on doesn’t it? We have been encouraged to sleep, reminded to eat, encouraged to care for ourselves, told to prioritize non screen time, and call those we care about it. All of these things are incredibly important to us making it through a time full of endless anxiety, ambiguity, and change. There is another aspect of our coping that grounds all of this – our spirituality. Spirituality is appropriately defined by Christina Puchalski as “the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connection to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.” Our spirituality reflects the people, things, and places that give value, bring joy, embody hope, and convey wonder and awe in us. Spirituality is what gives meaning to eating, sleeping, spending time with family and friends, and even work. As such, it is a universal human experience that could be expressed in a sense of being alive or connected or feeling something sacred or transcendent. In short, we all are spiritual.
Carl Sagan found spirituality and science connected in the immensity of space and the wonder it brought him. Mother Teresa’s spirituality was experienced in serving those suffering immensely and seeing God in their faces. John Muir felt wonder and sacredness among the trees in a forest or the stunning views of Yosemite and the life that thrived among those places. My wife feels the sacredness of life when she hears the sounds of choirs filling giant spaces with moving sounds that are filled with amazement. One physician once described the sacredness of performing a heart surgery and participating in the healing of a child. Wow, and wow to all of it!
During a season like this, we are pressed on all sides by anxiety. During this season of life, our spirituality is what grounds us. It is what brings me a smile on the days I feel down. It is what brings lightness when life feels heavy. It is what brings connection in empty spaces. It restores meaning when “I don’t know” seems like a common refrain.
I am stirred by beauty and wonder. When I stand in front an ocean and watch the sun pierce the sky with its stunning brushstrokes, I feel my breath stop for a bit and find calm. When my son and I pray together every night, I feel in tune with every parent and child across the world and with people from generations that repeated some of the same yearnings and gratitudes!
I have walked through Texas Children’s over the years and have watched many children pedaling their bikes across the bridge in a spirit of perseverance. Each time, I have been filled with more joy and awe than I could capture in any words! I have seen in our chapel a nurse pray on Ash Wednesday, a Jewish rabbi blow a shofar for a family, and a Muslim physician kneel for prayer. I have seen a mother holding her newborn baby and the sacred connection of a baby who has just opened their eyes and met their mother’s embracing gaze! I feel all of these people’s work is an extension of their faith. Every day, no matter what anxiety, hardship or struggle I come across, I have still found an experience so meaningful and beautiful that it gives me a sense of unmatched wonder and awe, and reminds me that we are connected, life is meaningful, and beauty and wonder still shine through!
Your spirituality matters. Your spirit matters. It shapes what brings you wonder and how you hope. It shapes the way you play, the way you create, the way you love. Today, connect with your spirituality. Do one thing you love today. Name something that is beautiful to you. Listen to music that stirs your soul. Pray with the compassion that connects you to others. Look up at the stars and the sky. Play with a child whose imagination roars. Our spirit is stronger than anything we will face this week and beyond.
