Mapping spiritual journey in our writings

"All of the larger than life questions about our presence here on earth and what gifts we have to offer are spiritual questions.  To seek answers to these questions is to seek a sacred path."                           ~ Lauren Artress

A few years ago, my mother handed me a 3" ring binder.  In it was a rough draft of a manuscript from a person I only knew from pictures -- my maternal great-grandfather.  The notebook contained a xeroxed copy of photographs, a sketchy family tree, and notes that told the tale of two young lovers.  Typed pages with tiny hand written remarks and edits amazed and delighted me!  As I read the manuscript, I was especially taken by the strong presence of faith in his writing.  In every chapter, Grandpa and Grandma Guyer's faith was evident, tested, questioned, or praised. 

I never met Grandpa and Grandma Guyer.  But after reading his story, I at least have some answers to questions that help to fill in the blanks of my own story.  My grandmother and mother certainly never spoke about their own religious or spiritual beliefs. Nor did they tell Grandpa and Grandma Guyer's story.  They kept such things close to their hearts and relied on church elders and Sunday School teachers to impart knowledge to the next generation. 

Some days I contemplate taking Grandpa Guyer's manuscript and cleaning it up so that it is publishable.  Other days, I think I should spend my time writing my own story to share with my children and grandchildren before I depart this world.  I am filled with so many questions I wish I could ask Grandpa and Grandma Guyer.  But they and my grandmother, their daughter are gone.  The only answers I will ever have from them are in those yellowed, tattered pages.  My mother is a very private person who keeps her stories to herself.  Even with prodding and questioning it is difficult to get more than a hint of insight.

With that in mind, I realized that so many writing prompts live in the wellspring of our religious practice and our faith-based lives.  Our spirituality could well be a treasure trove of life-writing prompts.  It matters not what you call your religion... it matters that you have a belief system that guides you and that you call upon to help answer life's bigger questions.

Our spirituality is a very personal story.  It is an ever-evolving story.  Many have traveled more than one path in their search for understanding.  Some have arrived.  Others are still searching.  I am not talking "religion" here.  I am talking the spiritual nature that lives and grows within every one of us.  While many would try to equate the two, there is a difference between "religion" and "spirituality". 

Religion seeks to organize and systematically bring together people who have like-minded beliefs about who the Supreme Being is and how that Being should be worshipped.  Deeply rooted in rituals and doctrines, religion -- no matter what world religions we are comparing -- has a strong link to the concept of judgement and many religions cling to grace as a redeeming factor.  

 Spirituality, on the other hand, is our individual path to deeper awareness and understanding.  Our spirituality is ambiguous, open to many different interpretations, subject to many ways of practicing, and ever-evolving.

Exploring our own spiritual paths and/or our religious upbringings offers a wealth of writing prompts.

• Write about some of your earliest memories about church/worship/religious practices in your family. 
• If you did not grow up in a family that fostered religion, write about when you first became aware of the fact that your school and neighborhood friends did - and  what you felt when you realized you were not part of that experience. 
• Were your parents of like-minded religious beliefs?  If no, how did their divergent views/practices influence you as you grew and made your own decisions about religion/spirituality?
• What are the "talking points" in your household around the topic of religion or God (or whatever you call your religion's Supreme Being)?  What are the points from which you steer clear? Why?
• What would you like to be able to ask your elders about your faith?  What would you like to know about their own spiritual paths?  What do you wish some of  your elders would have shared with you when you were younger?

Consider the role your religious and / or spiritual beliefs play in the following:

• In the midst of daily strife, how do you find the strength to persevere?  What gives you hope?  How do you maintain an attitude of gratitude and joy?  How do you make sense of the societal pressures that plague individuals and communities? 
• What story would you like to leave for your children/grandchildren concerning your spiritual path?  Why not use some of what you uncovered with this exercise to begin writing that story?

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"It is very possible that the fate of the world may hang on the story we make of God.  For we act based on who we say we are, and when the story we are acting on is our belief that we are doing what 'God is telling us to do,' powerful suprarational forces are set loose -- for good and ill."  ~ Christina Baldwin from Storycatcher

Comments

[Joyce Boatright]

What stirring prompts. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[Zaynab D'Elia]

This post was so important to me. I often feel shy about writing about the issue of religion or spirituality. It is at once so personal and so sacred, as if we should write it in a whisper. Yet, at the same time, for so many of us, there is nothing more central or essential to the way we live and experience life than our own spirituality. Thanks so much for the support and the prompts! In peace, Zaynab

[Lee Ambrose]

Dear Zaynab
I am so glad to know that you found this prompt to be a valuable one. I was especially intrigued by your comment about how perhaps we should write about spirituality in a whisper... How poetic and how true!
Lee

[Susan Ideus]

What a treasure your mother handed down to you. I know next to nothing about my parents' families. They didn't talk about the past and no one wrote anything dow. My mother viewed questions about the past as prying, along with comments about "airing dirty laundry in public", Now all of the elders are gone and my questions will never be answered. I do love your prompts! I wish I had time for a retreat just so I could catch up on my journalling. The ideas generated by this blog could keep me busy for a long time. Thank you, Lee.

[Lee Ambrose]

Ahhh yes, Susan, I know all about that "dirty laundry airing" mindset.... Sounds like you and I hade parents who were of the same ilk. I am so glad that we, as a society, have seemingly moved past that in many ways. I'd hate to think that all of the past was lost forever.

Ditto on the great inspiration from this blog. There are so many gifted women who are helping all of us see ourselves, our writing and our lives in new light. My thanks to all who contribute blog entries AND responses here.
Lee