by Bishop Terrie Riley
Spirituality is one of those words we all recognize, yet few of us define in the same way. For some, it’s a sense of connection to something larger. For others, it’s a personal journey of self‑discovery. And for many, it’s simply the quiet knowing that life is more than what we can measure or explain.
Across cultures and centuries, great thinkers have tried to articulate what spirituality truly means. Their reflections reveal a shared truth: spirituality is less about belief and more about experience. It’s not a doctrine — it’s a way of being.
Defining Spirituality: A Return to the Inner World
Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once wrote that “life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” This shift — from solving life to experiencing it — is the essence of spirituality.
Spirituality begins with the inner landscape:
- our breath
- our intuition
- our capacity for wonder
- our longing for meaning
Mystic poet Rumi described spirituality as “the breeze at dawn that has secrets to tell you.” He wasn’t pointing to something supernatural; he was pointing to the subtle — the quiet moments we often rush past.
Modern psychology echoes this ancient wisdom. Carl Jung believed that each of us carries an inner blueprint — a deeper Self that is wiser than our conscious mind. Spirituality, in his view, is the bridge to that deeper knowing.
In this sense, spirituality is the practice of turning inward, not to escape the world, but to understand our place within it.
The Role of Spirituality: Meaning, Purpose, and the Human Journey
Spirituality plays a profound role in shaping how we live, love, and make sense of our lives.
- Spirituality Helps Us Find Meaning
Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl observed that humans can endure almost anything if they have a “why.” Meaning, he argued, is not invented — it is discovered through relationships, creativity, and honest self-reflection.
Spirituality becomes the compass that helps us navigate life’s uncertainty with purpose.
- Spirituality Connects Us to Something Larger
Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh used the word interbeing to describe the truth that nothing exists alone. We are part of a vast web of relationships — ecological, emotional, ancestral, and communal.
Even Albert Einstein spoke of a “cosmic religious feeling,” a sense of awe at the interconnectedness of the universe. For him, this feeling was the foundation of both science and spirituality.
Spirituality reminds us that we belong to something larger than ourselves.
- Spirituality Supports Personal Transformation
Writer bell hooks described love as a spiritual practice — one that requires courage, honesty, and vulnerability. She believed that spirituality is not about perfection, but about transformation.
Transformation begins when we question old stories, listen inwardly, and choose a new way of being.
- Spirituality Grounds Us in Daily Life
The Dalai Lama often says that spirituality is simply “the cultivation of warm-heartedness.” It shows up in how we speak, how we listen, and how we choose compassion over judgment.
Spirituality is not separate from daily life — it is daily life, lived with intention.
Why Spirituality Matters Today
In a world that moves quickly and demands constant output, spirituality offers something radical: presence.
It invites us to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with what is real. It helps us remember that beneath our roles and responsibilities, we are human beings longing for connection, meaning, and belonging.
Poet Mary Oliver captured this longing when she asked, “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Spirituality is the practice of living that question with curiosity instead of fear.
A Gentle Invitation
Spirituality doesn’t require a temple, a guru, or a perfect meditation practice. It simply asks us to pay attention — to ourselves, to one another, and to the world around us.
It is the quiet truth that we are part of something vast, mysterious, and beautiful.
And it is available to us in every moment.