Spiritual is always a loaded topic.  For some it equals church or synagogue; for others, it’s a broader idea.  I’m all over the map on both aspects of spirituality.

I take my basic sense of spirituality from how I grew up (Protestant) and how I learned about some sort of god, not the one of my elders, but one that might be a more useful conception (12=step programs.)  Beyond this, I’ve identified as a full on atheist, have studied Buddhism and attended a local Zendo for awhile, and for quite a while when I was younger, I was interested in converting to Judaism.

I’ve come full circle to some extent.  No longer do I identify as an atheist, but agnostic seems to fit best.  I still think the concepts of Zen are helpful, and I still find the community of Christianity appealing still.  Not the starkness of my childhood Protestantism, nor the over emotionality of fundamentalism or charismatic churches, but something more akin to a contemplative, peaceful place to be in the presence of a higher power.