You are already a child of God, equipped with everything you need to begin resonating with the divine. That does not mean you are morally or psychologically perfect. Not at all. But you will now have the freedom to see such failings in yourself, to grow and to love better because of them. (Rohr, 2009, p. 104)

Richard Rohr (2009) reminds us that religion is not so much about going to a particular location as it involves our ability to love—ourselves included—and to love well. Let's examine how the nature of religion and spirituality invites us all to connect, to love without judgment, and to practice what we preach.

The term religion comes from the Latin religare, meaning “to bind” and leading to a sense of living under a sense of reverence or vows. This context seems to aptly describe human experience in much of contemporary society, divided in many aspects and seeking to unify for a greater purpose or sense of meaning. Today, we tend to capitalize descriptors of organized religions to denote characteristics, values, and beliefs unique to them (e.g., Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.). Spirituality describes how the unique soul of a person is in relationship with others and the divine. Here, I will refer to organized religion with “religion” and individual experiences of the soul with “spirituality.”

If religious experience is about binding to certain sets of values and beliefs, and spirituality is about relationships concerning the soul, then both religion and spiritual practices can enhance our relationships with ourselves and with each other. Think about it. Nurturing the relationship of our soul with the divine is critical to transform ourselves. Our hearts must change first before our minds, relationships, communities—and mental disorders—can (May, 2003). Even outside of organized........

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