To Those Who Say, “I Am Spiritual, But Not Religious”

I grew up in a small town in Nigeria where most people went to church on Sunday, where religious faith (Christianity) was so central in the lives of so many. In my own family, going to Catholic Mass on Sunday was compulsory. Of course, not everyone was Christian. There were a few who were adherents of African Traditional religion, whom Christians often target to evangelize. This minority of non-Christians were not at all atheists. They believed in a supreme being whom they worshipped through the ancestors and other divinities. The case I am making here is that virtually everyone in the community believed in the existence of a greater Reality and were actively seeking to be in relationship with this greater Reality, although through different means. So, I grew up with the mentality that everyone believed in God. But much later in life, I realized that’s not really the case. To my shock, I discovered there are people who completely insist that there is no God. As a curious fellow, I began to learn about this “new” phenomenon called atheism or atheist. As would be expected, I wasn’t in any way fascinated by their reasons for denying God’s existence. So, I moved on. Now, after twelve years a priest in America, I have encountered people who say, “I am spiritual, but not religious.” Majority of them unfortunately are young people. This “Spiritual but not religious” group are not essentially atheists. A good number of them argue that although they don’t see affiliation with organized religion as necessary or important, that they do believe in God’s existence. Some of them blame organized religions for being too violent, divisive, and therefore unnecessary. They maintain that what underlies all of the religions is a basic set of spiritual convictions and intuitions; that once they grasp and follow them, they are spiritually awakened and also avoid falling victims to the arrogance of particular traditions or revelations that claim to be absolute. The proponents of “I am spiritual, but not religious” aver that it is much better to follow the fundamental spiritual intuition behind all these religions than to cling to any particular religion. Some of them would point to their work or their relation to nature or art as their religion since they find God there. 

God is indeed present everywhere by his Essence and in all things by reason of his Immensity. He can indeed be found by those who diligently and sincerely search for him in everyday life, in nature, through the sciences and arts. Adherents of traditional religions can indeed have an enlightening and helpful experience as he uses his Ofor stick to invoke his ancestors to intervene in his life and family. From Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufi, mysticisms, African Traditional Religions, Judaism and to Christianity, we can find some things that are a lot in common. Science, mathematics, history, psychology, philosophy, other social sciences could be vehicles of spiritual attainment and insight. But check this out! In none of these spiritualities is one addressed by the personal and living God. In this other means, the human person is the one doing the seeking; the human person, as it appears is in the active role. God is only discovered at the end of this long and sometimes tortuous journey. God is turned into a distant and abstract force who remains at the background of life and who makes no special and personal appeal or demand. The of God spirituality, the God of the “I am spiritual but not religious” is only found by us and in our own terms. 

Does it mean that this approach is entirely wrong? Not really! But what it does mean is that those who opt for spirituality rather than faith will never reach into God’s mind and God’s purposes. The unique biblical conviction is that God is not a distant force, but a person who speaks and acts in history. God is someone who reveals his mind and purpose to humanity. Although each of us is a spiritual seeker, but let’s not forget that God is a seeker as well. Even before we think of this quest for God, he was already seeking us out and speaking the word of truth. Although you might have drawn your conclusion about God from your own external observations, conditioned by your expectations, your conclusion of him can always be adjusted once God speaks and opens his heart. This is why spirituality, as good as it is, is never going to be enough. Spirituality must give way to something higher, richer, and deeper.  

It is against this background that I want us to examine afresh the story of the Magi. First and foremost, who were these men? It is not very clear who they were. Probably, they were a combination of what we astrologers or astronomers. They were part of star-gazing culture that was especially strong in Babylon or Persia. The culture and purpose was to measure the planet and stars, but more importantly to discern in them the will of God. So, on their terms, using their own skills, these dedicated men sought out the will of God. The magi, to my mind symbolize the best of the spiritual traditions of the human race, from the ancient times to the present day. They are very good models of the spiritual quest. Look at it closely! These men were seeking for God, but didn't know precisely where to go until they met with the representatives of the Israelite religion who told them on the basis of revelation where the Messiah is to be born. Remember that they followed the star. They followed their own calculation, used their own intuition and so on. However, it was when they finally came to Holy Land, and spoke to the experts of divine revelation did they know precisely where to go and precisely whom they were seeking. The experts told them that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem of Judea. 

Do not be upset by what I am going to say. But truth must be told.  The biblical view is that there is a people that was chosen by God, chosen to be the unique bearers of his revelation to the world. They were chosen not for themselves, but precisely for the nations and for all the seekers of the world. Israel is chosen for the seekers that all who seek for God might find him through the focused revelation that was given to this people, Israel. It is not going to serve our purpose if we simply reduce Israel to one nation among the many and if we reduce the revelation given to Israel to one more spiritual program among the many. There is something unique about Israel. It is God speaking his own mind and heart. Check this out! God gave Israel the Law, Covenant, Patriarchs, Temple, the long tradition of worship, and the prophets. By these means he shaped the people according to his heart and at the culminating moment in this revelation, he sent his only Son for the Savior of the world. Once the wise men knew where to go, they went and found what all along they have been seeking. They would not have found it without the specificity of Israelite revelation. 

So, to all those who say, “I am spiritual, but not religious,” to all spiritual seekers out there today who want God, especially the young people, it is good that you are following the yearnings of your heart. But I want you to know that you won’t find him in his specificity and in his own self-revelation apart from the great people, Israel, which bears that revelation. To young people out there, you can learn as much as you can from philosophy and mythology. Seek with all your heart. Learn the spiritual wisdom of all the great traditions. But I want you to realize that your search will remain incomplete until it draws you to the God of Israel revealed in that BABY born in abject poverty. Who is that baby? His name is Jesus Christ. He is the manifestation of the divine love, which makes the whole universe and seeks us out with the passion of a mother or father.