Who You Callin’ REAL?
“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” The Velveteen Rabbit
“Thomas said, ‘Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, and put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe.”’ John 20:25
Recently, when I shared that this “Spirituality for Real People” enews was being resurrected, someone asked me: “What’s a REAL person?” I love questions like that. I could say “takes one to know one.” Or “do you REALLY not know what REAL is?” Or I could just respond “Thank you for keeping it REAL.” Instead, I find that question a great opportunity for spiritual reflection (just as good thoughtful questions always propel us toward deeper spiritual growth than merely having the expected oft-repeated answers). So, here’s what I REALLY think I’m learning about REAL people in search of REAL spirituality.
REAL people embrace their imperfections and unknowing. You don’t have to hide behind theological correctness, being in possession of a superior religious tradition, or getting it “right” all the time. Sam said it best – Scars reveal much more than stars. Our wounds, failures, and falls all empower us to admit our need for God and for God’s grace. Admitting that we all fall short is not just a religious cliché – it’s an empowering insight! It was only when Thomas placed his own fingers and hands in the scars of Christ that he came to believe. Ordinary shabbiness, rather than extraordinary superficiality, is more likely to lead us toward true saintliness.
REAL people discover God’s revelation in the present moment in the real world. We don’t sit around waiting for an afterlife in which we will finally find union with our Higher Power. We don’t hold off on conversion and faith until some ecstatic unbelievable other-worldly experience gets up in our faces and knocks some spiritual sense into our heads. Have you noticed how often Jesus used the common images and stories of real daily life in his time and context to convey the most profound life-changing spiritual truths? Jesus saw in sheep, coins, lamps, meals, baths and vineyards the revelation of extraordinary divine truths. As we pay attention every day here and now, we too connect with our Creator and discover the Spirit’s movement in every incident, occasion, and opportunity. As Rabbi Abraham Heschel was fond of reminding us: “Nothing is to be taken for granted in this life. Everything is extraordinary. To be spiritual is to be amazed.” As we look out upon the natural world and our daily encounters with all who inhabit it and find meaning and purpose in serving and being served in relationships of authentic love, we discover that the spiritual path is made by our own walking. Along the way, God is revealed in our seeing, appreciating, embracing and being fully present in the gift of each moment.
REAL people believe that we are more than our external facades. Some religious traditions insist on “paint by number” spirituality that is a kind of lightly coated sweet glaze rather than a savory marinade that takes time to soak in deeply – beyond the skin and bones and right down to the soul. Discovering true religion, like revealing the true self, requires some undercover work. We are fearless in taking our own inventory, in asking the deepest part of ourselves to show itself and in allowing ourselves to take a long honest look at the truth within. In discovering that hidden self, we may find the authentic person we’ve sealed off, secured and denied for far too long. To keep it real is to be willing to go deeper in life, faith, relationships and self-discovery.
REAL people understand that it takes a daily dose of humor to keep the soul light. As G. K Chesterton’s lovely sentiment suggests: “The Angels can fly for they take themselves lightly.” Serial solemnity and spiritual awareness cancel each other out. Finding humor, even in our travails, makes them much more bearable and even beautiful. When we laugh, we breathe in the very Spirit of God. When we crack a smile, we find our souls cracking open in ways previously unimagined. Humor is indeed all it’s cracked up to be – a wellspring of never-ending joy.
REAL people recognize that REAL spirituality cannot be forced. Such transformation occurs naturally over time, as we open ourselves up to a process in which we discover how deeply we are loved by God. Redoubling our do-good efforts and engaging in more frenetic acts of pompous piety to seem more “worthy” cannot replace our deepest longing to be in a real relationship in which are so valued that we can’t help but value others. It’s an essential motivating part of the truth of loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Loving others is a natural result of experiencing God’s unconditional love for us and finding freedom in becoming the one God originally created us to be. We don’t have to put on a show. Rather, we simply show up and let God do the rest, in God’s time.
The honest-to-God truth is that each of us is loved in ways none of us can begin to imagine. But we can come closer, as we keep it real – in life and in faith. When we dare to go deeper, beyond the surface, we find the shocking spiritual truth: we are loved, accepted, affirmed and forgiven. Therefore, we can’t help but live with gratitude, joy, honesty and authenticity. Aware of such unconditional love we begin living fully in each moment, recognizing that God is completely present in every movement, growing in grace and love for God, myself and our neighbors.
Such self-awareness is ultimately the gospel truth, the good news of God’s great love for us in Jesus Christ. And that, my friends, is as REAL as it gets.
