Authentic Spiritual Practice: reflections on a Cam Miller Blog

Cam Miller writes about the commodification of things that once conveyed a sacred power. He speaks of numinous landscapes that once constituted "an impenetrable mystery, revealing a hint of the Creator." For us, however, such landscapes have become "Real Estate to buy or sell, a safe haven for when the market is down or volatile." Similarly, the image of a serene Buddha becomes "a mere souvenir of a trip to Thailand," and a crucifix becomes a fashion statement. 

   

     But what if the marketing of such things may serve as "souvenirs"of a less disenchanted time, as symbolic of a "second naïveté" as described by Paul Ricour? Has there not always been an impulse to commercialise the holy? 

 Jesus' followers were often described as encouraging him to use his gifts to better economic advantage (...and Peter said, "Lord, let us make three booths..."). On the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, from whence I have just come, the presence of TWO sets of holy relics, the tombs of both St. Aidan and St. Cuthbert, was directly responsible for the surging prosperity of the place, and also the cause of its being pillaged and burned by the Vikings, who seemed inclined to leave it alone when its saintly founders lived there in simplicity. 

     

    I am wondering if the modern phenomenon of "12 step spirituality" might provide something of a model for those seeking an alternative to the prevailing commercialism. The 12 Steps is based on the renunciation of the illusion of CONTROL. As Cam points out, our obsession with comfort and entertainment is linked to the use of technology to control our environment. A recovering addict experiences first hand the inability of technology, or of any human contrivance, to control the effects of addiction. Paradoxically, recovery begins at the point where powerlessness is acknowledged. "Power is made perfect in weakness." Finally, the 12 Step Methodology maintains a curious immunity to commodification. There is a "Recovery Industry" to be sure, but its  most utilised, successful, and accessible treatment resource is free.

    The "island saints" were responding to their own essential powerlessness when they established their little island of sanity on Lindisfarne. Defended only by the regular appearance of tides, their spiritual practice released an energy into the world that has not entirely worn off today. 

Cam is right about the omnivorous appetite our culture has for anything that can be rendered profitable. He is right also in his prescription for "awareness, watchfulness, sensitivity, and attention in order to be open to the holy that is within us and around us at every moment."