Spiritual PathwaysSample

Senses & Justice

This week, we are exploring various “spiritual pathways”—different ways a man can connect with God. Jesus is the only path to the Father (John 14:4-6), but we also celebrate the diversity by which He has created us and recognize that not every man feels close to God in the same ways.

One pathway is called the “Sensate” pathway (Exodus 29:1-16). These men feel close to God as they engage with their senses.

Men wired this way tend to be drawn to more liturgical Christian traditions such as the Eastern Orthodox church. In an Orthodox church service, one can expect to engage in worship with their bodies (rising, kneeling, bowing, etc.), their ears and voices (through singing and prayer), through taste (partaking of the Eucharist every service), smell (through the burning of incense), and visually (through art and architecture in the sanctuary). All the senses are engaged, giving a man a “full body” experience of worship in a unique way that draws the worshiper closer to God.

We see this biblically in the Old Testament Temple (e.g., Exodus 29:1-16, etc.), where worship included all the senses engaging in different ways as part of the worship of the LORD.

Another pathway to connect with God is the “Justice” or “Activist” pathway (Isaiah 1:17). Men who are wired this way feel closest to God when they are fighting for a cause.

Men on this pathway are not necessarily angry or aggressive but are certainly discontent with how things are. Their hearts are for the poor, the oppressed, the outcast. They see injustice in the world and people struggling and want to fight. Unhappy to simply see the problem, they seek solutions and are not afraid to challenge the status quo or confront the powers that be. When they do, their souls leap, filled with the Spirit as they fight for others.

Many Old Testament prophets were wired this way, especially men like Amos and Ezekiel. We also see this idea from James, who reminds us that faith without action is dead (James 2:17) and that the poor need to be protected (James 2:1-13).

If either of these pathways sounds like you, I will again encourage you to unapologetically pursue these paths to the Lord in your life and feel yourself come alive in Him as you do!

Prayer: Father, thank You for the senses You gave me to engage with You and Your world. Thank You for using people as a force for justice in this world. Help me to meet You in these places. Amen.

Reflection: Consider adding some “sensing” activity to your prayer time today, such as burning some incense or looking at and reflecting on some Christian art. Also, consider a small way in which you might do some good today: donating money, reaching out to someone in need, or writing a letter to protest an injustice.