Irreverence is a spiritual gift?!?

An author by the name of Tom Beaudoin wrote a book entitled "Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X." I haven't read the book yet, but from what I've read in the reviews and quotes I've found, it seems he's pinpointed how Gen Xers question the age-old crap we've been fed that pop culture and religion are mutually exclusive. I'm evidentally not the only person out there who feels that it's not a sin to get a tattoo or spend time in a bar or hang around people who aren't "holy."

"Both society and the church teach about religious meaning through media, technology, sciences, and tradition. Young adults, as creators and receivers of that culture, often work outside the traditional box asking questions or making connections that other adults may overlook. Cynicism, irreverence, and attitude may characterize this push."

Those are the negative connotations attached to this attitude. But more open-minded individuals actually view this attitude as a spiritual gift. It's our way of testing what's true and relevant for us, here and now, not holding out for a better day once the world ends (which our elders have posited can't be long off...and they've said that for over 100 years now...maybe longer).

This attitude is a gift, "touched by God's sometimes discomforting spirit, that authentically demands a connection between the world today, the world of young adults, and the ancient tradition of the Christian faith." It is also "a prophetic gift that young adults may bring to both church and culture--exposing hypocrisy, demanding truth, and leading to acts of justice and love."

(Quotes are from Sidney D. Fowler in the Push It! Bible Quest series for young adults.)

Your Erroneous Zones

I'm beginning to realize how much my mental health status affects my spiritual life, and vice versa. When I read The Shack by Wm. Paul Young, I realized how many erroneous thoughts I had about God, Jesus, and my worth and role as a human being. The Shack really helped me put my spiritual life back into perspective and helped me let go of a lot of unseen baggage I had been carrying around about religion and God. It reminded me of how beautiful and special this world and all of creation is: including all of the people who live on earth.

I followed up reading The Shack with the book Your Erroneous Zones by Dr. Wayne Dyer. I thought it was a pretty good follow up, because it helped me further challenge my thoughts about God, others, and especially myself. I have realized there are lots of different erroneous thoughts floating around in my head that make me feel stressed out and unhappy.

The last chapter of Your Erroneous Zones is about people who have eliminated erroneous thoughts from their minds. I liked how Dr. Dyer summed it up in this sentence: People who have eliminated all erroneous zones from their lives are "too busy being to notice what their neighbors are doing." They are fully-functional without the help of others and don't have time to worry about others. A cute link a friend sent me reinforced how people who are self-actualized differ from other people. I encourage you to check it out. It's called "Sweet Taters."