SPIRITUALLY GUIDED

In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death, I found myself examining my place in the spiritual world. My way, and Charlie’s way, are vastly different in tone and belief, and yet they both lead to the same Godly place. Is this a dichotomy or are we, as people who serve God and walk in God’s glory included in Charlie’s vision even if we don’t profess it in the same way?

I thought the coverage of the funeral for Charlie was a magnificent tribute. I could have done without the weird fireworks on the stage, but hey…TV demands its dramatic flair. The eulogies delivered by some of our nation’s luminaries were heart pumping and beautifully crafted. I was moved to tears on more than one of them. Inspired is a better word, actually. I felt great inspiration rise up in my soul in desperately wanting to serve more of God’s work while I walk this earth. Perhaps, that is what this young evangelist’s mission was – not to convert your belief but to arouse your intentions by divine influence.

I do not for one minute doubt that Charlie Kirk ascended into Heaven and is seated beside his Creator. His work was pure and intentional, that earned him his place. I am now inspired to amp up my own spiritual work, and I hope that when my day comes, my journey will be as easy.

Here is an essay I wrote that I publish once a year. It feels like the right time to present it to you, my readers, at this remarkable ‘turning point’ in history. I hope you embrace my words and dig a little deeper into your own brand of faith. I hope it inspires you to come back to the family dinner table, to talk to your friends and neighbors who may worship differently than you, and find common ground. I hope that the efforts of all us believers come together and spread like wildfire, for that is what is sorely missing from this very divided world. God Bless you all for following along.

FINDING MY SOUL
I was brought up in a family full of Catholics. It was an obligatory presence and back then a required mandate. My mother’s family were all devout followers. My father, having barely survived being shot down in World War 2, converted to the faith through his conversations with a reassuring Navy Chaplain in a far-away island in the Philippines. It felt ‘right’, he often said, ‘it felt like home’. And, although he grew up in a house with little structured religion, his recovery from his peril led him to feel safe within the confines of the religion’s framework.
Returning home from the war with his newfound faithfulness and meeting my very-Catholic raised mother, it seemed like his draw to the church was a destiny. He became an every-Sunday attendee, eventually becoming a deacon. Daddy would drag us to service even on the Sunday mornings when Mom wanted a few extra hours of sleep. My siblings and I all received a parochial education. In those days, catechism was taught right along with reading and arithmetic. You will hear no complaints from me regarding my fine education, but I will share with you that I hesitated even at a very young age at embracing the doctrine.
I left the church at 18 years old. I was on a spiritual trek and searching for something that would fulfill me and answer my many unanswered queries as to the whys and the wherefores. I studied hard the many world doctrines, and as the story goes, I found my answers and embraced my ideal spirituality as I blossomed into a reverent almost ministerial soul.
While I am thankful for the opportunities and the basic foundation I was given at birth, I am more grateful for the latitude I was given in exploring the other possibilities, and in so doing, forming my own voice. My father always told me, “I do not care what you believe, just as long as you keep it a constant in your life.” I have done just that, and his advice has served me well.
My temple lives inside of me, and I visit it every day. It is a very sustaining place from which to rise. The many aspects to living a spiritually inflected life are each fulfilling in their own way. My special blend – resulted from my early Catholic years, to the comfort found in Judaism, to the serenity of the Eastern religions have all come together in a perfect harmonious amalgamation. This is my church, my foundation – the one that I lean on in helping myself during tough times such as these, and in helping others through theirs. It is one crusade that has proven very beneficial.
So, when I hear someone say…’See you in church’, I simply smile and utter inaudibly, ‘See the church in you!’.

d.j. posner

SPIRITUALLY GUIDED

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