Spiritual discernment

WE ought to know that discerning things spiritually, and not just sensibly or materially, or even intelligibly or reasonably, is a function incumbent on everyone. The basis is that at bottom, we are not beings that are purely material or rational, but also spiritual.

The distinction of the different aspects and levels of our life is crucial. We, of course, need to give each one due consideration, but we also need to learn how to integrate them, observing a proper hierarchy or priority.

If we want to keep our humanity, nay develop it to its fullest potentials, this is what we need. We should be wary of being held captive in a certain level, not allowing full play to our best faculties and deepest longings, and ignoring the objective goal meant for us as revealed to us by our faith and convictions.

Sad to say, this is what we are seeing these days. People are contented to live at the “subsistence level” or hand-to-mouth existence not so much in the economic sense as in the anthropological sense.

Many are contented with living in the material or sensible level, cultivating a language and culture that are largely blind and insensitive to the higher levels. The spiritual is given only a formalistic attention, all form and no vital substance.

Of course, we grow by stages and we have to contend with all sorts of difficulties and challenges. There are those who, through no fault of their own, get trapped at a certain level.

But this possibility does not diminish our duty to grow all the way. We have to be reminded that as social beings we need to help one another in the common pursuit for full human development. We cannot be indifferent to the others.

It’s good to be clear about the distinction between what is a rational and what is spiritual. Both aspects are actually spiritual already, except that the former keeps its spirituality and develops it in itself, while the latter is in constant pursuit of the true, objective spirit outside of itself.

Spiritual discernment is this search for the true spirit, since there are all kinds of spirit hovering, so to speak, in our world and life. There are good spirits and ultimately the Holy Spirit. There are also evil spirits. Let’s not be naïve!

In our world today, we need to be keenly discerning of the evil spirits that play on us. It’s amazing how they are holding us captive in so many ways! Ever subtle and tricky, they harm us sweetly but effectively and with impunity. They delude not only individuals, but also entire societies.

When I see those billboards advertising all sorts of things, I cannot help but think that while there are good things shown there, there are also many other spiritual spoilers and malicious gate-crashers crowding them. But they are too subtle to be immediately noticed.

The human catastrophes and social upheavals that litter the history of the world are clear testimonies of the reality of these evil spirits tricking us. We really cannot afford anymore to be casual about this duty of ours to go into thorough and abiding spiritual discernment of things.

We need to go back to our Christian faith, one that is not invented by anyone but is revealed, not fabricated but given as a gift by God. We need to master God’s word to us, which as the Letter to the Hebrews said:

“…is living and efficient and keener than any two-edged sword, and extending even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints also and of marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (4,12)

And as St. Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians: “We speak not in the learned words of human wisdom, but in the doctrine of the Spirit, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (2,13)

We have to make a deliberate effort in developing this spiritual attitude in seeing things. We just cannot remain in the sensible or intelligible level. We have to examine things spiritually. In St. Paul’s terms, we need to be a spiritual man, not just a sensual man.

We need to be more aware of this need and duty. We have to know what are involved and required to achieve this ideal for us. I think that we already have all the means and materials for this purpose. It’s just now our decision to take up this challenge.