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The "Spectrum of Spirit" blog features insightful articles, essays, and reflections penned by the founder, Paul, and diverse guest contributors. Focusing on contemporary spirituality, the blog offers regular updates with weekly themes and seasonal reflections, fostering ongoing engagement and a deeper understanding of spiritual practices and trends.

Imagine If Devotion Were Dangerous Again?

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Solstice

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6–8 minutes

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There is a parable that Jesus shared about the seed and the Sower. I will try to paraphrase this analogy so we can move forward with the blog. It begins with a Sower who is throwing his seeds onto the field. Some of the seeds burn from the heat of the sun and won’t receive the nutrients needed for survival. Some of the seeds get picked off by the birds, sometimes eaten, sometimes misplaced into different soil, where again, they won’t receive the nutrients needed for survival. Some of the seeds land on rough and rocky soil, and can’t get deep enough into the ground to receive the nutrients needed for survival. Some of the seeds begin to grow in the soil, however, they are choked out by the thorny bushes around them, stunting their growth. Lastly, there are some seeds that land on rich and fertile soil and grow to be all they could be. After Jesus shares the parable with the crowd, he explains the parable in detail to his close disciples. There is a lot of symbolism and interpretations one can take from this parable, two of the many things I enjoyed about Jesus’ teachings. For the sake of this blog, I want to address how it is easy to desire to live in the rich and fertile soil, maybe even devote one’s life to be able to stay in this rich and fertile soil. However, I believe the symbolism shows that the Sower isn’t necessarily concerned about empowering their seeds to be beautiful plants, but allows the transformative and volatile aspects of life to do their work. This brings me to question whether the knowledge and wisdom shared through time were ever made to keep us safe, but maybe they had a different purpose.

Imagine knowledge and wisdom shared through time were attempts to communicate the intensity of life. Imagine how different professions, disciplines, and perspectives collide. Imagine this collision reveals one’s ability to imagine the unexpected.

Entering Danger

Growing up, I never liked the idea of bible study. In middle school/high school I felt like bible study was another class I had to take, that didn’t contribute to my college application. I felt like church and the prayer time within my family was enough. I questioned why I needed to study something that felt like a personal relationship with a protective and giving figure like god. However, as life presented different challenges, my undergraduate time was spent in multiple bible studies, trying to consolidate the imagined construction of god in my head, with the traditionally, historically understood god of the bible. Bible study had started as a draining academic tradition and turned into a necessary academic tradition I needed to be a part of.

On the Stay Spiritual Channel, James and Justin have a discussion with Meena Manitvannan about Srividya Tantra, ancient Shakti wisdom1. Around the ten minute mark of the episode, Justin reflects on some of the experiences people in affluent societies might face, where they feel empty, unsatisfied, and feel the need for pills and alcohol2. Justin believes these moments of deep negative emotions can be considered the final frontier, the journey inward to enter true spirituality3. Justin clarifies true spirituality is not club spirituality, or spirituality used for other societal gain, but true spirituality, where one is challenged to figure aspects of life out due to the presence of suffering4.

I believe there was plenty of rich and thoughtful passion encapsulating a majority of this conversation between Meena, James and Justin. In our highlighted section, Justin shares about the experience she has seen and heard of affluent individuals in the western world expressing depression, anxiety, emptiness, etc. and the consumerist mentality to buy a substance to fill the hole. I hope no one feels judged by how I present this struggle as this is something I believe many people go through. Regardless, Justin’s conviction is not rooted in an intense academic study of a text, but is imagined through his emotionally charged and lived experiences. Justin allows his convictions to center himself in a world where many systems seem upside down, flipped on their resulting in possibly harmful spirals. Justin’s embodied beliefs empower him and give him peace of mind/alignment with the universe. Justin sees danger and doesn’t run to safety, doesn’t reach out to an external source for help, doesn’t recall a memorized phrase to comfort him, but enters inward, to assess the suffering head on.

Subversive Danger

In my life, the gift giving season is almost over, a couple more weeks and I can finally save some money and build towards my professional career and future projects. I understand how we have equated gift giving to care and love of another, however, I am skeptical this is all a bigger ploy as part of the West’s capitalist economy. Regardless, I find the history of gift giving to be an intriguing one. If I am remembering well, I once took a class called “God and Money” where we discussed the origins of bartering and gift giving. Gift giving seemed to be an offering from the leader of one group to a leader of another, to unfamiliar representatives trying to show a sign of peace, exemplifying the culture of the spokesperson. I’m not saying it would be beneficial to return to ancient times, yet, I do believe it’s important to assess how one concept has developed into something else over time.

On the Artistic Journey Channel, the creator shares a box full of different Valentine’s Day Gifts5. The video opens with an aesthetically burnt letter being folded and placed into a black box6. This black box is the first item placed in a bigger cardboard box, as the beginnings of the care package or gift package come together7. The next item is a scrapbook with a cover filled with paper rolls arranged into a red heart and the words “LOVE U” written in white8. The creator flips through the pages, cute pictures of pandas, puzzles, and paranormal activity (ghosts)9. The scrap book is placed into the cardboard box, and we see two decorative letters, one stating “YOU HAVE MY heart <3”, the next one “HAPPY Valentine’s DAY” with two cute animals hugging above10. The last gift placed into the cardboard box is a small bundle of red and white flowers tied up in a small pouch11.

Over the past three months, the Artistic Journey channel has been consistently uploading ideas of creative and personal gifts for family members and significant others of their audience. I do not know anything about the creator’s personal life, however, I can imagine all this gift creation may not be given to anyone. I imagine the act of gift creation for Artistic Journey is an intentional act, intentionally devoting themselves to their craft. I believe there is a risk in Artistic Journey’s process, not just as a content creator, but as a person and a gift giver as well. The oversaturation of similar content could leave their fans bored, and even more so leave the recipients of these gifts overwhelmed with emotion. Yet, the creator carries on and I believe this says more about Artistic Journey than about the recipient of these gifts. I believe Artistic Journey’s gifts are uniquely identifiable, carrying meaning that goes beyond any verbal explanation the creator could give. I believe this is what gift giving has become for some in our contemporary world, a subversive act to quell danger before it arrives, whether it’s with someone you are unfamiliar with or as close as a significant other.

No Danger Resolution

Refuse harmful imaginations. Tie yourself to your devotions. Piece together what is dangerous. Attempt again neatly. Enter to the end. Subvert openly. Find the edge to your resolution. Originate safety. Echo art. Explain eternally. Desire the mystery. Refrain from apologizing for your twin.

Bibliography

  1. Stay Spiritual, “What Is Srividya Tantra? Ancient Shakti Wisdom with Meena Manivannan,” YouTube, February 4, 2026, accessed February 5, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f-IQtUOoGs&t=36s. ↩︎
  2. Stay Spiritual, ↩︎
  3. Stay Spiritual, ↩︎
  4. Stay Spiritual, ↩︎
  5. Artistic Journey, “Valentine’s Day Gifts✨❤️ #art #shorts #valentinesday,” YouTube, February 2, 2026, accessed February 5, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/shorts/p0iBYb1a5p8. ↩︎
  6. Artistic Journey, ↩︎
  7. Artistic Journey, ↩︎
  8. Artistic Journey, ↩︎
  9. Artistic Journey, ↩︎
  10. Artistic Journey, ↩︎
  11. Artistic Journey, ↩︎

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