How many times have we heard people say "I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual".
Essentially, they often mean "I don't buy into all the trappings and rules of religion, but I know that the secular world with its science, politics and economics doesn't fill my inner being either".
Why is it that religion and spirituality are looked at as being so different by many people? Why is it that talking about someone being "religious" isn't always seen very positively by people who would look at themselves as being "not religious".
Let's look at one view of the origin of the word "religion". The root of the word is "lig" from which we get the word "ligament" which holds together bones in a joint. So the root "lig" means to connect together, to unite, to bring together into one body, one wholeness. And "re" means again. So "re-ligion" in its purest form, would be connecting us together again, making us whole again, one body with God. It would be about bonding us with all creation.
But what we have often seen in "religious" organizations is a setting apart from others, judging others for behaviour that religious people won't tolerate; a "disconnect" from others as we huddle within the confines of our own belief systems.
A "re-ligion", which is supposed to be connecting us together with all God's good creation, has morphed into a "de-ligion", a separating from other, especially from those who need reconnecting the most, those who are having a real tough time with life struggles.
So let's focus on trying to "re-lig": to reconnect with God, with one another and with all God's good creation. And in that pursuit, we will find God's spirit encouraging us on.
"Re-ligion" or "de-ligion"; which will be our goal?
(Adapted from the book "Naked Spirituality", by Brian McLaren)
