When people ask me if I'm religious, I always respond the same way: "I view myself as more spiritual than religious." Some people may view this as a cop-out, as an excuse for not going to church every Sunday or vigorously upholding everything the Bible teaches. While yes, I may falter in those areas (but cmon, who doesn't), that's not why I choose to describe myself as leaning more on the spiritual side. Here's why.

When I think of religion, I think more of tradition. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing; I mean I'm Catholic, I love tradition as much as the next person. There is definitely something to be said about walking into a church, repeating the same prayers, and honoring the same saints and Savior as hundreds of people before you. There's definitely a beauty to it. I am certainly moved by the Spirit when I practice these rituals. But. I feel as if too many people get caught in the tradition, place too much emphasis on the rituals. They find themselves slipping into the motions, growing more mechanic than heartfelt. They simply act, forgetting the true reason they're doing what they're doing. And then they have the gall to tell someone who may not be following the same practices that they're not doing it right.

Just because someone does not identify with the same denomination as you, or even if they do but they're not as rigorous when it comes to certain rituals, does not mean that they're doing it wrong. Who are we to judge if someone is seeking Christ? Who are we to judge, period? Of course, we need to encourage each other to seek God deeper daily; however, seeking the Creator is a heart matter. While I realize that by carrying out certain practices it helps keep us on track, it does not necessarily mean our heart is there. And that is something people need to learn to differentiate. The Pharisees upheld the practices outlined in the Bible better than anyone of their time, yet their hearts were hardened. It was about the show, not the relationship.

Which brings me to the topic of other religions. There is so much unnecessary tension that exists between Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc. But why? At the end of the day, aren't we all essentially worshipping the sane entity? We all realize something, someone, greater than us exists. We all realize that the universe calls for a Creator. We just happened to give that Creator different names and different forms.

Spirituality, as opposed to religion, focuses not so much on believing a specific structure, but is about acting upon what we know about ourselves. A popular youtube that my best friend showed me, Koi Fresco, put it like this, “Spirituality is about personal growth and development on all levels.” This spans both the mental aspect and the physical aspect; through yoga to meditation. Anything that expands how we view ourselves and the universe around us is considered a spiritual practice. We seek how to only better ourselves, but the world around us. Spirituality acknowledges that a Creator exists, that there is something far greater than us holding the universe together. Spirituality encourages individuals to seek that being in every possible way: in nature, through meditation, by discussing various philosophies.

A quote that I found and grew quite fond of states, "Religion is belief in someone else's experience. Spirituality is having your own experience." Spirituality to me encourages you to go out and seek a truth, answer your own questions. It's a matter of soul a heart rather than mind; it unites rather than divides.

I love God. I try to live for God. I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior when I was young, and it's a decision I've stood by since. I know something greater than myself exists. I realize this logically; I can look to science for proof. I realize this emotionally; I can feel that I was molded by someone's hands who are much greater than mine or any humans. I feel God's presence in all that I do. His hand is evident when I observe the uniqueness amongst my friends. His power is displayed when thunderstorms shake up the trailer where I work. His love envelopes me as I live to see another day I don't deserve. I feel Him as I talk to Him when I walk to class or lay down to bed for the night. I feel Him as I venture through the woods and listen to Him just as much as I feel Him when I kneel on a pew during mass. I perhaps feel Him more so when I’m out in nature, His creation, rather than inside a building.

What's great about humans is how unique we all are. Part of being unique is that we all have different ways of connecting to things. So please don't tell me my way of connecting to God is wrong. I still seek Him, I'm just not in the church every week doing so. Rather, I'm trying everywhere, seeking that spiritual connection, which I can back up with religion and religious practices. Society has started to place too much emphasis on how you identify yourself that they've started preaching that if you're not Baptist, if you're not Islamic, if you're not this or that, then you're not getting to Heaven, you're not living correctly. But the point is not how you identify; it's loving and accepting God, however, you may identify Him and whatever you may choose to call Him, and then proceeding to live accordingly by loving others. And isn’t that the basis of this all? Love? No matter how you choose to identify yourself, you are recognizing that we are all a part of something greater than our own identities. So be kind. Be compassionate. Be tolerant. And never forget to love.