The heading of a Faith Matters column, “Are you ready for the backhoe’s arrival?” had me wondering why Christian religions seem so focused on death and about the implications contained within statements such as “Are you ready for the backhoe’s arrival?”?

“Are you ready for the backhoe’s arrival?” carries within it the threat ‘the unprepared are going to suffer eternal agony’ which has always struck me as extortion. If you don’t worship ME (God), you are going to suffer for eternity. Suggesting that God is someone you do not want to encounter in a dark alley.

Although this ‘or else’ extortion approach tends to explain why Christian religions are so heavily populated by people who show up at church on Sunday and say all the right words (paying off the worship debt owed to avoid the “or else”) but fail to practice spiritual values in their daily lives.

I was raised in this death focused, ‘or else’ religious mentality and never was comfortable with spirituality. As a result spirituality was not something that existed in or impacted my day to day life.

It was not until my path led through mental illness, homelessness and poverty into recovery and wellness that I became comfortable in my own skin. As this journey of self-discovery and self-growth progressed, I began a journey of spiritual discovery and growth as well.

In sharp contrast to my previous experiences with religion and the concept of spirituality, this journey had nothing to do with death or ‘or else suffer agonizing consequences’.

In the same way my internal journey was about LIFE and the joy of a life lived well, this new spiritual journey was about the joy of weaving spirituality into the way I live, celebrate, LIFE. It was and is about establishing a personal spiritual relationship with my higher power, God as I understand her/it/him/unknowable, a relationship that is an integral part of the way one lives one’s life.

It is not a relationship to be trotted out when convenient or as needed. Indeed, it is a relationship that is often inconvenient and uncomfortable as one struggles with spirituality and the effect spiritual values have on how you live your life.

It is not a relationship that has anything to do with extorting worship, ‘or else’ or fear of death.

It is a relationship focused on LIFE and how you live it; focused on living life well and in harmony with one’s spiritual values each and every day.

One’s spirituality and relationship with your higher power becomes an intrinsic element of your life; fundamental to the way you live your life, every minute of your life.

It is not something one trots out for a few hours on a Sunday then puts away and ignores until it is once again Sunday. It is not a religious spirit one dons for a few hours on a Sunday then puts away so that the rest of the week you behaviour can be self-centered, all about yourself without regard to others, the world itself or spiritual values.

In this way it is not faith that matters; rather it is the spirituality, the relationship with your higher power that faith gives birth to in our lives that matters. All the faith in the world does you no good if it does not lead to a deepening personal spirituality and personal relationship with your higher power.

And no, I am not ready for the backhoe’s arrival. I have to much to accomplish, to many people needing help, to much life to live, a spiritual journey to continue and a personal, conscious relationship to explore with my higher power,

As a result of my ongoing journey I have no fear death, pursuing as I am a deep spiritual and personal relationship with my higher power.