Spiritual life – Having a peace beyond explanation.

‘What is a spiritual life?’

Human beings have been interested in spirituality for a long time. It persists in spite of modernity’s insistence that only what can be seen, touched, smelt or measured is real. There is little doubt that science and technology has brought considerable benefits for human beings. However, for many of us, there has been a gnawing sense that we have missed something really important. There was a profound loss of confidence in modernity, especially after the Great War, and this opened the door to a spiritual awakening. Much of that interest in spirituality took place outside of established western religion. Interest in eastern spirituality grew as did a growing awareness of the importance of the environment. Many people just knew that there was more to life. Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit priest and gifted French scientist, once quipped that we are not merely “human beings having a spiritual experience, but rather, spiritual beings having a human experience.”  This is a perceptive comment, one that points to the heart of reality.

Spirituality understood this way is not simply another area or part of life that we have ignored or minimised but that which is central to a fully integrated human life. We avoid it at our individual and collective peril. This sense of spirituality enables us to connect at a deeper level with the world around us, with one another and with transcendence. In this sense a spiritual life provides the person with a connection and sense of place in the world.

There is in fact a deep well from which we may draw to connect ourselves to the divine and bring order and hope to our disordered affections. Genuine spirituality is deeply integrative and is primarily a journey inwards that strengthens our relationships with others and with God. It is from this place of genuine awareness that we are able to hear the word of God speak to us. Jesus holds out his arms and says,  “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30). Friends, this kind of spirituality is founded on a substantial and life-giving relationship. So that even if everything else around you is crumbling and falling apart, this deep sense of connection will bring a sense of peace that is way beyond rational explanation.

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Chaplain Col Acton RAN

Chaplain Colin (Col) Acton is a senior chaplain in the Royal Australian Navy. He was originally in the Navy as a stoker, left and studied theology at Moore Theological College in Sydney. He served at Port Kembla and Blacktown Anglican Churches in Sydney before returning to the Navy as a Chaplain in 1997.
Col is married to Heather.