I call it the Radical Spirit.

It’s a slight movement few people have heard about, but it’s the one I am eager to join, the one label I would happily accept.

Compassion feels almost dangerous sometimes, the spiritual life a foolish fringe on the edge of our world. But it’s where I want to be, even if I can’t always deserve it. It’s not what real men do. Thus, it’s just right for me.

The modern mind recoils from the concept of self-awareness and the liberation of the self— there’s no money or power in it. I can dominate no one but myself.

By its very definition, greed and bloated wealth are not wanted or revered. I guess I’ve never been more out of touch with the times.

Spirituality is a fringe idea, the busy, distracted mainstream political and media world has little use for it.

Neither does Hollywood or Netflix, or Amazon Studios. There’s no money in it, no big streaming hits.

The big corporations are just discovering there may be big money in it. But spiritual people aren’t big spenders.

We live in a world where humility and self-awareness are ridiculed, even reviled as “work,” or “grooming” and perversion. Half the country is rushing towards the dark ages; the other half seeks compassion and enlightenment.

The more some people preach live, the more some people hate them. I guess this is nothing new if you follow your history, but how many people do that?

It’s hard enough to keep up with now.

That has never been easy or peaceful.

Spiritual strikes at the core of the ambitions of modern times – money, power, domination, and judgment. Lies are considered truth and dishoner honorable. I never thought I’d miss the Judeo-Christian ethos, but I’m starting to hope it returns in one form or another. Lying and cruelty are in fashion, even revered.

History says it’s inevitable that compassion will come back.

Spirituality sees the liberation of the spirit for which I struggle. Humility rejects globalism and its insatiable greed and pollution of our planet.

Spiritual leader Joan Chittister writes that humility is our only answer to globalism, world peace, economic justice, and equality, ideas under widespread and savage attack. I feel good about where I am going but know it is unpopular and ridiculed.

I’m not looking to be a martyr, but my soul has welcomed me to join the eternal search for a meaningful life. I won’t give it up.

Spirituality is how I fight back, my weapon, argument, guide, counselor, and sword. I’ve always loved the idea of the “Radical Spirit,” a call for a return to compassion, peace, and empathy.

As I grew older, I was enchanted by the idea of the “Radical Spirit,” the essence of my never-ending search for the fullness of life and human development. I am searching for a life that is free and authentic.

There are no gurus on cable news arguing for what I seek, no political leaders speaking out in favor of it, and few  Christians have even heard of it, even though Jesus Christ, their so-called founder, and leader, was a Radical Spirit for much of his life. It cost him his life if the told scribes were to be believed.

The ancient message rings now and clear, perhaps more than ever, in our divided, spiritual and angry world. No one running for President is embracing the Radical Spirit. They would not get far, or so we are told.

The words of the old Prophets sing true: the chains we struggle with most painfully are those we created for ourselves. I’ll keep working on it. It has been nothing but good for me. And doing good has been nothing but suitable for good.

Compassion is a flame that will never burn out, even when it flickers.