by Frederic and Mary
Ann Brussat
Co-Directors of
Spirituality & Practice
We're offering a free
gift to all Spiritually Independent people and those who love and welcome them.
After reading about who they are in this article, click this link to claim your
gift:
Let's stop being so negative about the group that is
transforming religion and spirituality in the 21st century. One-fifth of the
American public -- and a third of adults under 30 -- do not identify themselves
with a religion. Some of this number (6%) describe themselves as atheists or
agnostics, and the other 14% say they have no particular religious affiliation.
In an attempt to label the last group, two terms have emerged: "Spiritual
But Not Religious" (SBNRs) and "Nones." We don't like either term.
They categorize people by what they are
not. We are interested in who they are.
That's why we like the term "spiritually
independent." It was coined by Rabbi Rami Shapiro in his forthcoming book Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually
Independent. He'll be leading an e-course on "The Way of the
Spiritually Independent" for Spirituality & Practice in September. You
can read more about it and sign up here:
Shapiro likens the spiritually independent to the
politically independent. The politically independent find good ideas and
policies in different political parties and choose not to join one in
particular. They are less interested in where ideas come from than in how they
contribute to creating the world they want to see.
Similarly, the spiritually independent person seeks out
wisdom from many sources: the religions, the sciences, the arts, the humanities,
the popular culture, the Internet and social media. They are less concerned
with where the wisdom comes from than in its capacity to make them more
compassionate, just, and awake to the unity of all life.
Who Spiritually
Independent People Are
We want to celebrate who Spiritually
Independent people are! Here's what we have learned about them from their
visits and interactions on our website.
Spiritually independent people express their spirituality in
a wide variety of ways, often participating in several communities: a
meditation group, a yoga class, peace marches, workshops, and conferences. They
are not necessarily independent, neither
wanting nor having community, nor are they individualistic. They are only
independent in their spirituality; no one religion covers where they are in
their beliefs and experiences. They could check "none of the above"
on a list of religions, and they might also check "all of the above."
Spiritually independent people find wisdom and inspiration
in many sources: sacred texts, books by spiritual teachers, poetry, Ted talks,
YouTube videos, movies, art, nature, scientific studies, pop culture, Facebook
memes, and more. Because no authority has told them what is and is not
appropriate for their spiritual formation, they look everywhere. Our website
visitors read reviews of spiritual books, meditate with galleries of
illustrated quotes, and then browse through our coverage of current movies.
Spiritually independent people are seekers without borders
(another term coined by Rami Shapiro). They celebrate the interdependence of
all life and talk often about unity consciousness and oneness. In not
recognizing clear borders between religions or feeling the need to stay in just
one, they are not alone. As a multifaith website, we have reviewed many books
by authors who claim "multiple belonging" because they practice more
than one religion. Perhaps they are Jews who observe the Sabbath and go to
synagogue and teach Buddhist meditation. We are initiates in a Sufi order but
we also worship at a progressive Christian church; our mysticism crosses two
traditions.
We and the spiritually independent have another thing in
common. We create our own spiritual practices. We call this the Indiana Jones
School of Spirituality. You probably remember that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy and
Marion are hiding from the Nazis, and she says, "Do you have a plan?"
And he replies, "No, I'm just making it up as I go along."
There are tried-and-true spiritual practices that have been
passed down within the religious traditions through the centuries. Many
spiritually independent people regularly pray, meditate, do sacred reading, and
sing chants and hymns. And then there are practices that just come to you as
you go through your day - your own way of living a spiritual life. Fred says a
prayer for whoever is in trouble and whoever is going to help whenever he hears
a siren on New York City streets. Mary Ann bows to her computer in gratitude
for its service to her. A good friend
regularly visits a Hudson River pier to allow the water spirits to nurture her.
Another identifies something "wonder-full" with her daughter every
day.
If you want to welcome the spiritually independent people in
your life, ask them how they practice their spirituality. You will be surprised
and delighted by all the ideas you get for your own practice.
An invitation and
some gifts to readers of this article. We've created a special page at
Spirituality & Practice offering you some special resources for spiritually
independent journeys! For a limited time, we have a free download for you on
"How to Practice the Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy," 37 universal
practices. We've also created a "Field Guide for the Spiritually
Independent" with more "identifying signs" plus everyday
practices, mantras, movie and book recommendations, and more; it's a bonus when
you register for Rami Shapiro's e-course "The Way of the Spiritually
Independent" running from September 9 - October 4. To claim your gifts and
sign-up for the e-course, visit us at:
