FEEDING THE SPIRIT


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with our spiritual selves. In my role as an Episcopal priest I


by the reverend christopher montella


spend a lot of time with people seek- ing the nourishment of their spirits within our church life. Through ritual, study of scripture, prayer and the experience of community we give spiritual food to our souls, in order to enrich our lives, live more peacefully and connect with God. That God part can be tricky for a


Much like our physical core, a


strong spiritual core is a critical component to staying strong and resolved in the face of all that is being thrust at us.”


A new year often means resolu-


tions to get in or get back into shape. At this time of year, we’re bom- barded with all kinds of promotions that seek to help us realize those resolutions. There’s so much focus on our physical well-being that it is easy to think that taking care of the physical is all that really matters. I don’t mean to imply that taking


care of our bodies isn’t important, though I do believe that the physi- cal is only one aspect of our total well-being. That can sometimes be hard to understand, especially in LGBTQ contexts, where the extreme emphasis on physical beauty often means that we neglect other aspects of our total wellness. Most people will also agree that


we should also tend to our mental health and finding productive ways to do both of these things is essential to building and living well balanced


lives. However, if we consider ourselves a cohesive trinity of mind, body and spirit then we must also make a special effort to tend to our spiritual health.


BUT, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE FELT ENCOURAGED OR EVEN MOTIVATED TO DO IT? The spirit, like the mind, is an intangible. You can’t see it (necessar- ily), but you know it’s there. Many of us think of feeding and expanding our minds to gain knowledge, get ahead and keep sharp as we age, but what do we feed our spirits? This can be a complex thing, especially for any of us that may equate “spirituality” with “religion,” even though they are not the same thing. Religion may indeed be a channel for spirituality but it is not spirituality in and of itself and there are many different ways to connect


24 RAGE monthly | JANUARY 2018


lot of LGBTQ people, especially, since for many of us, our experiences with “The Church,” no matter the denomination (or any organized religion for that matter), have been confusing, hurtful or worse, abusive. As a result, many of us have shut down our spiritual selves. But the uncondi- tional love of God is bigger than any organized or disorganized, religion. That said, over the course of history


there has been no shortage of people who use religion, The Bible and God as weapons against LGBTQ people. While we have made incredible strides, there is clearly more work to do. This is especially evident in this last year where anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has been ratcheted up and phrases like “Christian Values’ and “religious freedom” are being touted more and more as a means to hold us down. All of this can be unsettling to say


the least. The relentlessness of a 24-hour news cycle, endless ranting on social media, the unpredictability of many of our elected officials and what seems like growing instability around the world, can lead to feelings


of despair, hopelessness and fear. This is especially true for people living lives that are considered outside the mainstream and the systems that have been built to support it. That’s why tending to our spiritual well-being is essential. Much like our physical core, a strong spiritual core is a critical component to staying strong and resolved in the face of all that is being thrust at us. It’s the metaphorical life-vest that can keep us from getting pulled under by the tides of hate, racism, homophobia, transphobia or any other human endeavor that seeks to separate, oppress or otherwise, diminish the light of a person or people based on demographics. January finds us beginning


the Christian liturgical season of Epiphany. It’s a period where we reflect on the revelation of God made manifest in Jesus to the world. It’s a time when the miracle of what God has done for us is revealed to us through the scripture we read and the prayers we pray. It’s a time of wonder, light and hope. I encourage you-whatever your faith tradition is or even if you don’t have one to use this season by resolving to spend time feeding your spirit: Meditate, reflect, pray, seek. You might do this in a church, mosque or synagogue, on a hill, at the beach, in a yoga studio, on the sofa in your living room or in any number of those places. Wherever it is, do it. Your body and your mind will thank you for it.


The Reverend Christopher Montella is an Associate Priest at St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church in Huntington Beach, CA and is the Chair of The Bishop’s Commission for LGBTQ Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. He is originally from New York and currently lives in Burbank with his partner Erick.


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