How do you know...?

Self,

A while back, I went to visit a friend. The purpose of the visit was just to hang out, in addition to him wanting my opinion and help on a writing project of his. At some point in the course of the visit it turned into him ranting about all the things that HE think are wrong in MY life. (Go figure, right?) The details of what he ranted about isn't important. Usually, when I ask him for his opinion about situations in my life, he gives good advice and is very helpful. I guess, those instances usually earns him a pass for these ranting sessions so I tend to let them roll off me like water on a duck's back. For the most part that's what happened during this ranting session. Except for one thing, this time.

Now, I'm not saying that he's right about his ranting on this one subject, I'm just saying that it didn't just go in one ear and out the other. This particular item raised an interesting question. Apparently, my friend took it personal when I wrote in my [Welcome 2010] post that he doesn't know me as well as he thinks he does because he didn't think that I was the church type. He's partially right, I'm not the church type, but I go occasionally. What I feel he is dead wrong about is that he went on to say, as he looked down the finger he had pointing at me, that I don't live a spiritual life, but he does.

Well honestly as I said when he has these episodes, I just mentally check out, so I was surprised that my mind had register that comment. This was the same man that when I tried to share my experience of attending a Hindu service several years ago, he asked if my reason for attending was that I went looking for "dick." So from that point on I knew that spiritual matters wasn't his strong suit and it wasn't something I should or wanted to discuss with him. So it makes sense that he wouldn't know about that aspect of my life now all these years later.

I was also shocked by his statement that HE lives a spiritual life. As I said, I already figured spirituality wasn't one of his strong suits and in the years since we been friends I hadn't seen any evidence to the contrary of that understanding. This is the same person who to my recollection has not once been to church the entire ten years that I've known him. This is the same man that always seems so negative and doesn't make any sort of spiritually encouraging statements about himself or others. So, I was baffled to see where spirituality took form in his life. Not to mention what gave him the authority/audacity to judge my level of spirituality.

Yes I know attending church does not equate to living a spiritual life. I understand that church goers could be just as likely to beat their wives every morning before getting coffee; molest/rape children in the afternoon; or commit adultery every night as "heathens."

Spirituality generally is used to express that a person has an extremely personal and PRIVATE relationship with God. So then, sadly a church goer could do those things above because of in their understanding of their relationship with God, they feel they are doing what God has told them to do. And since spirituality doesn't not have to involve a "church" a person may develop their relationship with God by smoking weed everyday, or by finishing a fifth of rum every night, or during orgasms. Isn't one's personal relationship with God the foundation for a person to fight a holy war? It's that personal belief that someone has insulted them, their faith, and their God, to lead someone to die defending their faith, honor, and religion.

Is it possible for me to ever see evidence that my friend does lead a spiritual life? (Short of us discussing it.) Hell for that matter what proof could he possibly think he have to say that I don't live one? "How do you know," was the question that was raised in my mind when I heard his comment. How does anyone ever know if someone else lives a spiritual life? I mean my friend doesn't know about the time I spend at home meditating. He doesn't know when, where, why, how often I pray. He doesn't know when, where, why and how often I thank God/the Creator/the universe for all the blessings in my life and the blessing of my life itself. It's never really been anything that I felt I needed to broadcast.

Was this just me being a tourist or me making a pilgrimage to a reverend site in 2007?

I mean really, How do you know...?

Sincerely,
Pharaoh