I have come to hate the phrase "spiritual journey." I'm not sure how it happened. Perhaps it reminds me of church advertising, striving to be relevant. Perhaps it reminds me of self-assured folks, trusting one day we'll all reach the right way, the one they're on. Mostly, though, I hate the phrase because my journey is not spiritual.
Yes, this journey is God-filled. The Holy Spirit shows up in times and places expected and absurd. But this journey is not spiritual. It is wholly, completely embodied.
If I only talk about ministry, only the things I encounter during my paid hours, let me tell you about this journey.
It is a journey of camp--of scraped knees and hurt feelings. It is a journey of bee stings and homesickness. It is a journey of s'mores and sticky fingers and water balloons and splashing in pools.
It is a journey of youth groups--of volleyball and egg-soaked teenagers. It is a journey of pizza and doughnuts. It is a journey of torn pages and spilled drinks. It is a journey of fitting in and sticking out.
It is a journey of people in need--of unpaid bills and loneliness. It is a journey that requires food to eat and a place to sleep. It is a journey that means selling everything you own to pay for funerals, then finding a new home.
It is a journey of people frustrated with their bodies--old bodies that can't do the things they once did. It's a journey marked by women wondering what to do with their now pregnant bodies that look and feel different. It's a journey that means lifting less because of surgery and guarding closely the ones among us who are unsteady.
This journey is not spiritual.
This journey is marked by nights with prayers ascending in the midst of flour-covered hands and counters, preparing bread to feed strangers and friends.
This journey is always, always embodied, with all the dirt and mess and unpleasant things that come with having a body.
That doesn't mean this journey is unholy. It just means it's not something that takes place in a neat and tidy spiritual place.
But no, this journey is not spiritual.
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