Sacred Moments

"The higher goal of spiritual living is not to amass a wealth of information, but to face sacred moments."

-- Rabbi Abraham Heschel

Religious talk bores me. All that "How many angels can fit on the head of a pin?" stuff is just so much theological masturbation. And beliefs -- don't bother to debate and defend your beliefs-- none of them are defensible; all are merely crutches with which to walk through the uncertainties of life. Myths and stories are at least colorful, but please remember that they are, at best, pure fiction, and, at worst, outright lies and distortions.

No, all that religious, mythological and theological junk is just so much excess baggage. None of it helps you be present to the only sacred moment there is -- this moment -- right here, right now. You see, every moment is sacred, but we miss most of them, we don't face them, because we are off in our heads somewhere. We're fantasizing about the future, obsessing about the past, or trying to live from a particular script, or in a particular way, that has nothing to do with the present.

As Rabbi Heschel knows, true spiritual living is just being here now. Whatever information, knowledge or wisdom you have right now is enough. It may, in fact, be way too much. All you need to face spiritual moments is awareness and guts. Holy books don't matter. Gurus don't matter. Membership in this or that particular church, temple, cult, or group surely doesn't matter.

Just you. Two eyes, a brain, a heart, your breath -- that's all you need. And actually, the two eyes are optional.

So, just for today, let your big, damn wealth of information go. Don't worry, it will still be there if you ever need it. Today, just be on the lookout for sacred moments. (Hint: They're everywhere!) Face them with a clear mind and an open heart, and experience the joy of traveling light.