The Journey Of Gay Spirituality

Gay spirituality has been long sought and hard fought

. Let's face it, a large percentage of us grew up in churches that condemned us. It is completely common to go through a strong questioning period where spiritual answers seem out of reach and you end up looking for some sort of confirmation. The problem is that there is no actual confirmation, but the journey is still well worth it.

Most of us started on our journey when we were young. Sometimes we didn't even realize that the words we heard cut so deeply because they were actually about us. Sometimes we did.

As time went on many of us started searching outside the church for answers. Social justice and a strong desire to move our community into the light became more of our church than the buildings with pastors and priests.

There are all kinds of ways that one may try to find spiritual answers. When gay spirituality was first even mentioned, there was no such thing as an open and affirming church. Instead, there were a few select individuals who saw the plight of our spiritual journey and went out of their way to reach out to the community. Some turn toward that effort and others still turn away, looking for validation in the eyes of their childhood church.

It can be a painful road if you come from a religious background. You may have been subjected to prayer sessions that were supposed to "cure" you or religious studies that openly humiliated you. Thus, in today's GLBT community there are many who find spirituality solely within themselves.

You do not have to go to an organized church or even claim a religion in order to mark your spiritual journey. You are able to move through your questions and find your own answers whether it be through actual religious study or it becomes more of a silent quest along the beach. However you go about looking for your spiritual self you are simply not alone. The truth is that the GLBT community has been hit rather hard when it comes to spiritual acceptance, which is why it is important to understand what you want from your journey.

Gay spirituality isn't just about acceptance. It is about a sense of self and in some cases a sense of dignity. There are plenty of cast outs that would love to come full circle, hear their childhood church admit fault for treatment of their gay membership, and feel righted after being mistreated. Yet we can only take that idea so far. It's about understanding and then reconciling that the religious teachings that we experienced were created by people. Actual spirituality is felt, internally, and can't be taught. It is a noticeable and distinct feeling.

In today's world your spiritual existence comes from within. You can join churches and other religious organizations that are accepting and welcoming. But until you find that gay spirituality is more about finding that spark within you, the journey can become too hard. Learning to take the journey from within makes it all worthwhile.

by: Howie Holben

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