Do We Need Spiritual Direction “Now, More Than Ever?”
Remember when we couldn’t escape the phrase “unprecedented times?” It’s hard to believe that just over five years ago, we spent our days never hearing it spoken aloud. And then we heard it almost every hour of every day. It was everywhere: on the news, at work, in school emails, and even in our entertainment. You probably said it yourself!
It seems we have a new phrase on the rise: “now, more than ever.” Have you been seeing and hearing this more frequently, too? It pops up in social media posts, my email inbox, and personal conversations. It’s tied to the importance of a variety of things:
Community
Activism
Conservation efforts
Mental health
Donating to nonprofits
And the list goes on…
Recently, I’ve seen the phrase connected to the relevance of spiritual direction. There is an idea that now, more than ever, people need the care spiritual directors provide. This isn’t surprising! People often seek spiritual direction to help them make sense of confusing situations or difficult times.
What’s Driving This Interest in Spiritual Direction?
It’s no secret that it is rough out there right now. The 2020s are already marked by social, political, and environmental upheaval. And this is true wherever you live on the globe. No country or continent (we see you, Antarctica!) has escaped the effects of pandemics, climate change, or deep political division.
Just one of these events is enough to get someone asking the “big questions” that drive people to spiritual direction.
Questions like:
Where is God in all of this?
Does this change what I believe?
What is life about, anyway?
How do I want to show up in the world?
And that time-honored classic: Now what?
It makes sense that, as we experience crisis after crisis, more people are seeking the help of a spiritual director.
The Predictable Popularity of Spiritual Direction
But while this boom may feel new and intensified, it’s not “unprecedented.” It’s hard to find anything in human history that could truthfully be called that. It makes me think of the shirt from The Onion that says: “History sighs, repeats itself.”
Or perhaps you prefer the passage from Ecclesiastes, a sacred text of the Jewish and Christian traditions:
“What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new’? It has already been, in the ages before us.” Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (NRSV)
If this increased interest in spiritual direction isn’t new, where and when have we seen it before?
Let’s look at what Teresa Blythe says in her book, Spiritual Direction 101. Here she is, explaining how spiritual direction was introduced to the Christian Tradition in the 3rd century CE.
“At the time of the desert monastics, Christianity had become the national, accepted religion in Rome and many followers felt the tradition was too institutionalized and no longer had its "edge". Seekers longed for a simpler devotion, and they looked to these desert hermits for direction”. (Spiritual Direction 101, p.11)
Do you recognize anything in that quote about our current experience?
Try this: spend just five minutes looking at social media content tagged #deconstruction. Chances are, you'll see hundreds of posts from people expressing their mistrust of organized religion. Many will also show people who want a simpler, more authentic spiritual experience.
And, just as we saw in 3rd-century Rome, many 21st-century Americans are looking outside of the official church for ways to practice their faith.
For 21st-Century Spirituality, Presence Will Trump Pews
A recent study by the Pew Research Center shows that 79% of American adults identify as spiritual or religious. However, 60% of Americans rarely attend a religious service in person or online. That means about 49% of spiritual/religious adults aren’t practicing in traditional ways. And that percentage is growing.
More young Americans are leaving their religious communities than older people are. Still, they say their spirituality has remained strong–and even been strengthened–over the years. Which makes you wonder:
If Americans aren’t practicing in traditional religious communities, what are they doing? And where? And with whom?
Let’s check out the data on spiritual practices and spiritual experiences. What do you notice? Does anything surprise you? Do you see yourself in the answers to the survey questions?
When I look at these two pages, I notice a few things:
Very few of the practices look like what we automatically think of as spiritual or religious
Many more people engage in activities and experiences on a monthly or “several times a year” basis, rather than a weekly one
Most practices and experiences are personal and individual, rather than communal
I felt surprised to see some of my own personal activities and experiences listed. It was also validating to see how many people also do those things, and call them spiritual. Practices like:
Listening to music
Looking inward
Being in nature
Expressing gratitude
Engaging in wonder
So many of these activities can be done any time, anywhere. They don’t require special equipment or the involvement of a religious authority figure. All they require is the full presence of the person participating. And that seems to be what people are interested in most, as they look to express their spirituality outside of religious institutions.
Spiritual Direction is the Practice of Presence
That’s why I think we are seeing a rise in the popularity of spiritual direction right now. It could also be why people will say we do need spiritual direction “now, more than ever.” Because spiritual direction is ultimately the practice of becoming present to your life and building deeper connections with the world around you.
When I meet with my spiritual director, we begin our time in silence, allowing me space to become aware of what is stirring in me. I will break the silence and share what is on my mind or whatever strong feelings I’m experiencing at the moment. And then, we get curious together.
That curiosity can look a lot of different ways. Maybe she asks me a clarifying question. Maybe it’s simply her repeating a word I’ve just used, or rephrasing it to see if that resonates. Sometimes its just asking me what emotion is associated with what I just shared. (I tend to share stories with a lot of detail and then get lost in the weeds…)
However we go about getting curious, the purpose is not to help my director understand me, but to help me understand me.
We don’t talk about my experiences so I can get over them, move on, and become a more productive and successful person. We talk about my life so I can experience it more fully and move through the world as a person who is becoming more whole.
I don’t know if we can say definitively whether or not spiritual direction is needed ‘now, more than ever’. However, in a world where things seem to be disintegrating at a rapid pace, I know that spiritual direction has become increasingly more important to my health and well-being.
Spiritual direction–whether I’m in the role of director or directee–helps me remain present to all that is good and true in this life.
If you would like to explore the possibility of seeing a spiritual director, check out SDICompanions.org, for a directory of practitioners from a variety of traditions and backgrounds.
Cheers to you as you begin the journey!
