I (Joe Quatrone, Jr.) agree with Downey�s words regarding the quest for the sacred for two primary reasons: (1) Christian spirituality is centered on faith in Jesus Christ (2) Christian spirituality revolves around community.
However, despite the need for community and faith in Christ, many American citizens believe they can uncover the sacred through their own efforts:
�At the core of the American mindset is a sharp contrast between religion and spirituality, together with an implicit judgment that spirituality and the sacred are essential, while religion, perhaps helpful to some, is not necessary to living a deeply spiritual life. For many Americans, spirituality is often understood as a very individual, personal, indeed private matter, whereas religion entails participation in the life of a community, in its worship, adhering to its norms and values� (21-22).
As a result, the quest for the sacred remains a controversial topic in America.
First, Christian spirituality is centered on faith in Jesus Christ. Through this faith, the ultimate values perceived and pursued are rooted in God, disclosed in Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit are active and present in the community of disciples or the Church. It is through His power that Christians are able to live a life of witness, humility in service, and steadfast courage in the midst of adversity. Christians follow the Lord knowing He is the only way to a true and authentic life, and are transformed in and through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Second, Christian spirituality revolves around community. Following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is the community of disciples or the Church, which forms Christ�s Body, living and breathing by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians maintain a relationship of mutuality and dialogue with all those persons who are sincerely seeking God, in effort to carry out His providential plan, the redemption of the whole world. Spiritual community flourishes through the manifold gifts of the Spirit, which are manifested in the lives of those who confess the lordship of the crucified Christ through their lips as well as in all their affairs.
The quest for the sacred is not nearly as difficult as our pragmatic mentalities believe it to be. For, the sacred will not succumb to our selfish instruments of assessment. We need NOT be overly concerned with results and outcomes that can be measured and assessed. We need NOT value people merely in terms of their achievements. We need NOT fill our lives with catastrophe and clutter. Instead, because the sacred is centered on faith in Jesus Christ, the spiritual life must revolve around community.
Works Cited
Downey, Michael. Understanding Christian Spirituality. Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1997.
