Interview about Spirituality with Danny Kinnane

First thing I have to say is they are very lucky people and I think as we hit big 50 a lot of people are wondering possibly like me ‘Where is my life going?” The people you mentioned grew up in the faith and are struggling now with the answers they were given as kids. I think we all do that and it is part of growing. The answers the scientists gave us 50 years ago are very different from the answers they give us now. That’s nothing too unusual but obviously it’s a real problem for some and upsets some people. Anyone who lives 50 odd years on this earth has their own wisdom. They might not think they have but they have and they should first of all dip into that wisdom they have.

The second thing is that they should maybe get someone to speak to, maybe a spiritual director, a clergyman a priest or whatever and talk about where they are. Talk about difficulties and also especially talk about their beliefs and where they are struggling in that area. Often when we share these things we realize how much we don’t believe and how much we actually do believe and that’s something we could work on.

Yes, I would say most are. But I think there are more people than clergy doing that. There are lay people who are qualified spiritual directors experienced in directing people in spirituality. These are people we should go to for advice and who understand exactly what we are talking about because they have been there themselves and who if you like can direct other people. There are a lot of people out there who can help them. But I’d like to get back to your first point I made about our own wisdom. God speaks to us first of all through our own life experience. It’s often good to sit down, give ourselves a day off. Maybe go out into nature and sit out there and think about our lives and think about God or the divine or whatever you may call it. Some people find difficulty with the word God. So do I. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have beliefs. It’s just that the word and our past experience of that word and people who use the word. Nature can teach us so much and give us the silence to listen.

It’s essential we believe that God created me different to you and vice versa. First of all, that God has a special plan for all of us. And secondly and it’s almost in the same breath, it’s essential to say that we are part of something - that we cannot survive alone. I need other people. For example people who believe the same things that we do can share that reality. Also to be aware that I am part of the big whole - part of the Universe.That I am part of the Divine, part of God part of the Spirit, whichever way you want to put it. So, the 2 things may sound contradictory, the fact that God speaks to me through my experience but often I need other people to help me to determine that. Does that make sense?