Spirituality in 3 Dimensions
I’m curious about what you think about this quotation:
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Teilhard de Chardin, SJ
Do you agree? Disagree? How does this relate to your life?
You might have a different reaction, but I think it’s very true. But I want to clarify: spiritual doesn’t mean the same as religious. For many people, their spiritual life is connected to some form of religious belief and practice. For others, it’s not. But regardless of attachment to a religious tradition or level of religious practice, I hold a belief that all humans are spiritual beings.
We ask the bigger questions of meaning: Who am I? Why am I here? How do I find or create meaning in life? What’s my purpose? These are spiritual questions. We are moved at our core by moments that are transcendent: taking in the beauty of nature, experiencing the birth of a child, falling in love, witnessing the death of a loved one. I believe we are wired as spiritual beings.
But we’re each wired a little differently as spiritual beings. Want to find out more about how you’re wired?
An Assessment
Now, this isn’t a formal, highly researched assessment. But I’ve found that these four questions usually offer a good starting point for understanding ourselves as spiritual beings.
There are no right answers to these questions, and no wrong answers. And the reasons behind your answers are more important than the specific answer you give to the question. In other words, don’t skip the “Why?” part of each question!
Question 1: What’s a favorite “God” or faith song? Regardless of whether it comes from an explicit faith context (e.g. church hymn or worship song) or it is a secular song that speaks deeply to you about the meaning of life and connection to something larger than ourselves, what’s the song, and why is it a favorite?
Question 2: What’s your favorite religious or spiritual holiday or season, and why?
Question 3: What’s your favorite way to pray or connect with a sense of the divine? Why?
Question 4: If you were feeling disconnected from God or faith, or feeling empty or in the midst of a “dry spell” spiritually, where would you go, or what would you do to try to reconnect? Why?
Three Dimensions
You know how a 3D movie is more intense, more alive, and more dynamic? I think the same can be said for our spiritual lives. I think we’re more dynamic and alive when we live spiritually in three dimensions.
Before I describe these dimensions for you, I want to give credit where credit is due, and it’s due to Michael Carotta who developed this understanding of the three dimensions. You can find this in Mike’s work “Have Faith: Sustaining the Spirit for Confirmation and Beyond.” Mike has been a friend and mentor of mine for decades, and I’m so grateful for his work on this. It’s been helpful in my own life, I’ve seen it open the eyes of countless others, and I hope that it will be valuable for you in your journey.
There are three dimensions of our spiritual lives: Vertical, Horizontal, and Internal. We each have one dimension that’s dominant for us or serves as our “default.”
The vertical dimension could be defined as religious faith. Those with a strong vertical dimension see God “above” and focus on the relationship between themselves and God “up there,” a God who is transcendent and above all. If the vertical dimension is dominant, you likely improve or maintain your relationship with God by praying regularly, going to church services, learning more about God and your faith tradition, and participating in religious events and traditions.
The horizontal dimension could be described as moral living. Those with a strong horizontal dimension primarily see God in others. They focus on strengthening their relationships with others and caring for others. If the horizontal dimension is dominant, you likely recognize others in need, go out of your way to treat people with respect and kindness, and practice fairness, charity, and justice.
The internal dimension is about emotional awareness. Those with a strong internal dimension sense God within themselves and focus on their relationship with God “in here,” a God who is immanent. If the internal dimension is dominant for you, you likely see spirituality as providing emotional management, helping you deal with emotional issues, past hurts, and life’s ups and downs.
Why They Matter
Each of these three dimensions is a valid expression of spirituality, and each is a legitimate path to holiness. None is better than the other.
Most of us have one dimension that is our “default,” or our “spiritual home.” That’s a good thing! It can provide comfort and reassurance at times when we’re struggling.
But it’s also good to stretch and grow. So we can consider the other dimensions as invitations for ways to grow in our spiritual lives. In the Christian tradition, these three dimensions line up pretty well with the virtues of faith (vertical), hope (internal), and love (horizontal).
Which virtue comes most naturally to you? Which virtue might you want to strengthen in your life? Engaging in practices that reflect the corresponding dimension might help you to grow in that virtue. Consider how your life might be enhanced if you became more “spiritually well-rounded.”
A Caution
If you’re serving in a role as a leader in a faith community – or if you’re a parent, grandparent, or faith mentor for another person – I hope this helps you to appreciate and validate others’ spiritual experiences or expressions of spirituality.
It’s important to be aware of our own primary dimension, and to recognize that others have different dominant dimensions. It can be easy to make our own dimension of spirituality normative, and either consciously or unconsciously dismiss the validity of others’ experience of spirituality by only offering spiritual practices connected to our dominant dimension.
Spiritual leadership is a sacred responsibility. It's good to expand others’ awareness of different spiritual practices and invite them to grow and become “well-rounded.” But we should always strive to incorporate all three dimensions into our congregation (or family), so that everyone can see that they belong and no one feels “less holy” by comparison.
What’s Your Next Step?
Here are some questions for your consideration:
What do you think is your dominant spiritual dimension?
What might this idea of three dimensions mean for your spiritual growth?
In which dimension might you want to nourish your soul? How will you do that?
How do you see these dimensions in others? How does this understanding of spirituality impact your close relationships?
What is your next step as a spiritual being?
Let me know your thoughts! I’d love to hear how this resonates with you and what impact it might have on your life.
Like this blog?
Sign up to get new posts delivered directly to your inbox!