Embrace the Underscore of Today’s News

It was another Monday morning in Room 207 filled with bleary-eyed students trying to focus on German as their minds circled back to the weekend.

And then their promising young lives came to an abrupt end.

Across the globe, we wondered about the gunman's motive. We wanted to know the reason for the massacre in the once-serene mountain town.

I can tell you this much: The young man suffered a spiritual crisis. Somewhere along the way he could no longer recognize the precious meaning of his unique life and how connected he is to the Mystery we call God.

Spirituality drives all our actions, for better or worse. When a billionaire makes a charitable donation, he is connecting with his spirit. When a radio deejay makes a cruel remark, he has stifled his spirit.

Yet spirituality remains the unwritten underscore of today's news. We delicately skirt around it, using neutral buzzwords like "integration" and "self actualization."

For nearly half a century, Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor has tried to usher spirituality into public discourse. It's not just acceptable to address spirituality, he says, it's imperative. It is the only way we can solve the world's most persistent problems of violence, injustice and war.

"We don't understand what's going on unless we understand that as human beings we are spiritual beings," Taylor told Jim Lehrer in a recent interview after he was awarded the 2007 Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities.

Gunmen and terrorists and criminals are not just trying to make a headline or make a buck, Taylor asserts. They are seeking fulfillment and belonging and purpose. They are terribly misguided spiritual seekers.

As a vocations director for the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, I encounter spiritual seekers daily. We receive frequent inquires about LifeChoices, our spiritual discernment program. People want to ensure that the big decisions they make are the right ones. And they realize the only way to do that is to take into account their spiritual beings. What better way than to meet with a gentle and wise spiritual director who can help you make decisions for yourself, not by yourself.

Every tragedy young adults witness — from Columbine to 9/11 to Virginia Tech — puts their lives in clearer perspective. It brings spirituality, a sense of meaning and purpose to life into the forefront of consciousness.

In response young adults act differently. They call home. They visit their grandparents. They hug their friends. They volunteer. They consider a life in service to others.

They remember that life is about more than a gilded resume or a corner office, a six-figure salary or a seven-figure house.

For me, the great blessing of being an Adorer is that I am surrounded by women who are guided by this truth. And I get to engage in stirring conversations with them every day as we make sense of the news and our lives.

Life is fragile and fleeting. So live it right.

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