A Gift of Spiritual Direction: Authenticity

A gift spiritual direction offers for the directee is a safe and brave place to be authentic…

Authenticity may be a big buzzword that gets tossed around often, but for directees whose faith is evolving, authenticity may be hard to come by.

I think that’s something many of us can resonate with: as our faith journey evolves, not everyone we are in community with evolves in the same ways. The questions we ask, the paths of Christianity we are drawn to, the ways we are learning to honour who God made us to be, and more, can all begin to shift in different ways than those we may have once been close to.

In sessions of spiritual direction, instead of feeling like we must conceal a part of us, there’s a sense of relief that can come from sharing the truth of who we are and where we are at: sharing the questions we have, the theology from different denominations or branches within Christianity we are exploring, the ways we find deep connection with God.

These things are shared without judgement, without a ‘this is right’ or ‘this is wrong’ comment (although we do practice discernment to notice if the movements would be of the Spirit for the directee to engage with), and with abundant love and curiosity and gratitude for the journey.

It’s during these times a directee can look back at their faith life as it once was, and notice the shifts and changes, which often leads them to noticing spiritual growth, even though growth itself is challenging.

The questions shared with God, the exploration of possible responses, the silence, the being okay with choosing the hard path of deep exploration, and the wonder of awareness along the way, can all exposed during  the session.

And this, my friends, is perhaps one of the greatest gifts of authenticity; the relief and joy that comes from not needing to censor, or perform, or have walls built, but to let the true light from within of each person shine forth and imagine God’s absolutely joy at seeing someone wholeheartedly continue to seek and follow and listen to God with all they are.