“For the Lord your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wandering through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”
Deuteronomy 2:7 NASB
Are you an absolute believer, spiritual wanderer, or “none”? What’s the difference? An absolute believer is someone who knows precisely what they believe without a doubt. A spiritual wanderer is a person of faith who still has questions, doubts, or struggles with their beliefs. A “none” is someone who would consider themself “spiritual but not religious,” unaffiliated with any organized religion.
For those who are absolute believers, I think they’re missing the point. Faith was never about having all the right answers. When confronted with difficult questions, Jesus rarely gave straightforward answers; He typically responded with a parable or another question. And those who identify as “nones” or “spiritual but not religious,” there’s a danger in becoming socially indifferent or less altruistic than those who are religious. If you don’t believe me, check out this recent article from The Economist.
After nearly 20 years of being a spiritual guide, I resonate more and more with being a spiritual wanderer. The older I get, the more I realize how little I know. My spiritual quest for learning, discovery, and enlightenment never ceases and grows increasingly curious. And I know that many in our community feel this same way. This is why the mission statement for Perch.Church is “a hospitable community for spiritual wanderers.”
Not all who wander are lost.
–J.R.R. Tolkien
