Religion vs Spirituality

In the words of the Psalm, knowing God is the fence, the protective barrier, that allows us to be still.

I get why people would create the dichotomy between spirituality and religiosity. But, as a Christian, it is by living with both the beauty and the brokenness of humanity that we discover who we are.

When, over the years, I've causally discussed "religion" with devoutly religious people, they've seemed to seamlessly accept my use of the word "spiritual." And why not?

When people begin to understand religious language, art, and symbols as metaphor, and God as an experience, we can begin to put much of the nonsense that fobs itself as religion behind us.

By expanding and deepening the way we frame the subject of religion, we can examine religious institutions and spiritual phenomena in a more productive way. Here's a model I find useful.