Step back and just look at our children’s lives- the growing absence of deeper purpose and meaning. Perhaps not very surprising when you consider that many of us live without a sense of real awe or mystery about our own existence here on this planet. In our predominantly materialistic lives, we seem to leave little space for spirituality, contemplation and reflection about who we are- and why we are . Without the deep and abiding connection to our own nature of being , there is little insight to pass on to our children.

In today’s materialistic society, it appears that spirituality may not be a priority as many of us place the unifying force of consumerism high on our household priorities. For many families, the place of worship has moved into the shopping malls. It is here where we may find parents and their children refreshing their sense of wonder at what life has to offer and buying the things that best express who they are and what they value. The roots of our children’s values seem to be growing more materialistic… and vaguely spiritual.

In our highly materialistic world, we seem far removed from exploring and examining the rather mundane yet extraordinary questions that truly unify our species. Secular materialism seems to render us a false sense of security about the meaning in our lives. We may be continually distracted by what we consume only out of fear or lack of interest in the spiritual matters that help reveal the nature of our own existence.

When genuine spirituality is thriving in the household, our children tend to grow up in a social environment that inculcates reverence for human existence and the mystery of life— and for wonder & freshness in their unfolding journey. In the absence of this spirituality, there appears little to challenge our children about the meaning of their lives. Comfortable and secure, they seem to believe that their lives are supposed to be about themselves separate from what they are deeply interconnected: about seeking immediate pleasures, busyness, achieving, and making money. Today, our children don’t appear to be connected to the real gifts of life they routinely tend to take for granted- and the mindset for a larger social purpose is often absent.

To help provide our children spiritual guidance for living and for understanding the purpose and meaning in their lives, we have to be intentional, inclusive, committed and consistent in the tenets- shared values & virtues- we compassionately teach them. There needs to be a fundamental reverence for life itself as well as the nature of ‘interbeing’ with one another. We are not selfishly alone in our lives. We are deeply interconnected with all that is living in our world.  The spiritual depths of our lives encompass strong morals, ethics and stewardship. The sustainability of our own humanity may depend upon our spiritual motivations- and our abilities to skillfully instruct our children how to live mindfully- to be of service- to know the truth- and to sustain hope & faith in the midst of the ordinary and extraordinary adversity in life.

We are truly part of a ‘grander scheme’… one that embodies powerful meaning and wonder even in the midst of our everyday activities. To be spiritually engaged is to transcend our material desires & attachments into a ‘Way’ of being that honors and dignifies our deeply human longings for meaning, purpose & truth.

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