This week the NPR self-help podcast, “Life Kit,” offered “Four questions to help you get in touch with your spiritual side.”  Ruth Tam seemed to be commending any and every kind of approach to spirituality, and yet glaringly absent was the notion that there might exist, beyond our own personal preferences, a God who defines reality and to whom we are accountable.  It was a horizontal spirituality of me, myself, and I.  The questions were:

“What does ‘something greater’ mean to you?”  That something might be collective consciousness, or values, or God, or whatnot:   whatever feels right for you.  The important thing is to find a “connection” with that “something greater.”

“Where do your spiritual beliefs come from?”  You have to know yourself before you can connect to something greater.  What can you draw from your spiritual history and past influences?  As you pursue this, feel free to mix and match the ingredients you find.

“What activities connect you and your spirituality?”  Think about experiences you’ve had that made you feel close to your “some­thing greater.”  How can you use religious rituals or ordinary acts (like walking or listening to music) to make spiritual connections?

“What else can you do to strengthen your spiritual connection?”  Try being more creative; attempt something new, and take your faith to the next level.   And pursue your spiritual best life now in community with people of various traditions.

As a Christian, I can see some positives in this:   be open, listen, learn, know yourself, don’t go it alone … very good.  But the implicit demotion of Christ from sovereign Lordship to the status of a prompt for good feelings—this is deeply disturbing.  Not that I expect NPR to preach the Gospel.  But as someone who cherishes the saving love of Jesus and the timeless, soul-enriching truth of Scripture, it’s always sad when pop voices reduce Christ to an option on the menu and instead plug a homespun “spirituality.”