IN SEARCH OF SPIRITUALITY
the life of Jesus where we find the incarnate God born into poverty, under threat of genocide and the rumour of scandal, soon to be a refugee who grew up and died in the service of humanity. MG: What was the most inspiring moment you have had as a reverend? TB: There have been many but let me share one that springs to mind: I was ordained into the Church of Eng- land equivalent in Kenya. I remember being at the funeral service for a young girl in a local rural village. Witnessing the togetherness of and support from the local com- munity was inspirational. No words were shared after the small service. We just sat together - about 30 of us - outside, in a circle, around the small coffin. There was something deeply profound about this experience. It was a classic Ubuntu moment. MG: How do you think people should be spiritual in their daily lives? TB: I try to carve out occasions whereby I can be still – both externally and internally. I spent a week without my phone over a recent holiday and I found this quite liberating; I’ll do it more often. External stillness is easier as it’s a matter of prioritising. Inner stillness is a real journey. Anthony De Mello talks about personal spiritual reality being a matter of ‘waking up’. I constantly need to remind myself that our 21st century western preoccupa- tion with the material can be an alluring distraction to that which is most important. Interestingly, Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to little children. MG: If you could re-live your life with all of your current knowledge, would you still go down the same path? TB: I’d certainly work harder at school, fuelled by a vision for my own future, and if I didn’t have a vision, I’d do all I could to find one! When I was younger I didn’t have much of a constructive, tangible motivation, and academic study didn’t come easy to me. If I went back in time I’d try to embrace a greater responsibility for my life – I see this as fundamentally central to living well. I sometimes daydream about what might have been. We get one shot at life. For me it’s a harmony of what we enjoy, what we’re good at and what gives us meaning, and it’s this that I try to follow. I know for now that I am where I should be. ◉
MARK GILL: How would you define spirituality? TIM BUCKER: I see spirituality as our human quest for meaning and purpose; it’s the existential, often myste- rious, journey of life. In this sense we are all spiritual. I sometimes refer to it as our inner scaffolding – the way that we make sense of our human experience. Some of us have a religious scaffolding, and some of us don’t. Sometimes this scaffolding appears robust and fit for pur- pose – sometimes it appears to be crumbling. MG: That’s an interesting definition of spirituality. Are there any places that you have been to that make you feel more spiritual? TB: There’s a special feeling when one glimpses the supernatural in the natural and the miraculous in the mundane; moments that bring awe and wonder and fleeting clarity. These moments are deeply personal and indescribable. William James, the American philosopher and psychologist, called these experiences noetic yet ineffable. Whilst these can’t be forced or controlled, I find a heightened inclination towards spiritual contempla- tion in nature, in music, in silent prayer. As a Christian, the sacrament of the Eucharist – the bread and wine – is central to my understanding of God and my spiritual experience, as is the centrality of the Bible. MG: What influence has religion had in shaping your life? TB: I was raised in a deeply religious environment. This was not an easy experience for me, and it took me many years to gain any semblance of spiritual peace. I’d need more time to adequately unpack this journey but as I reflect and consider my own understanding of a life lived well, I find that the essence of the Christian message rings true. I am mesmerised by the gospel accounts of Mark Gill (Year 8) interviews Tim Buckler, the College Chaplain, about his own spiritual journey, and how he thinks that spirituality can become real in the smallest of moments
Artwork by Kiran Kaloo (Year 11)
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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