I struggled for a long time to find a name or identifier for what I believe.  It’s difficult to get people to pay attention to a thesis statement on the workings of the universe and my place in it, so I really wanted to have a one or two word description for ease of social interaction.  I wanted a label.

But aside from brevity of explanation, do our paths need names?  Do we have to have a label for our spiritual activities?  Do they even have to define us that way?

Yes, my spirituality plays a big part in my life, but these days I find it’s more important to talk about what I do because of my beliefs than to talk about what those beliefs are.  Our activities already come with handy labels:  artist, leader, teacher, etc.  What we really want to know when we talk about our beliefs is whether other people are walking similar paths (or if they need to be converted, depending on what path you happen to be on).  But can’t we also tell that from what else we have in common?