We hear a lot about the religious right. What's on the spiritual left?

Many on the spiritual left are involved in or greatly admire the accomplishments of social change movements like the peace movement, the women's movement, the environmental movement, the movement for economic justice, the civil rights movement, the gay rights movement, the labor and responsible business movements, struggles for civil liberties, and the disability rights movement, to name just a few. Many use the word "spiritual" to include all those whose deepest values lead them to challenge the ethos of selfishness and materialism that has led people into a frantic search for money and power and away from a life that places love, kindness, generosity, peace, non-violence, social justice, awe and wonder at the grandeur of creation, thanksgiving, humility, and joy at the center of our lives.

The spiritual left is inspired by diversity, inclusiveness, and inviting love. Some are Abraham's descendants who became diverse religions of "the book" - Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Many on the spiritual left have faith in profound truths revealed in the books through metaphorical and historical, but seldom literal, reading. For example, God created diversity and saw that it was good. God sustained biological diversity through the flood and language diversity at Babel. Great commandments are summarized: love God and love each other. Diversity by its nature is inclusive and interrelated even though we may not yet fully understand. Many people on the spiritual left feel invited, not forced, along diverse pathways to find God.

Diversity over history implies adaptive change. Apparently dinosaurs didn't make it on the ark. Many on the spiritual left perceive that God is still creating, inspiring, and speaking. Both biblical and historical precepts have been revealed to need adaptive change. For example, slavery, common in the Bible, was legal in America until the 14th amendment. Few Christians today would condone slavery. Through the 1950s, many left-handed people were told they were acting abnormally and must change.

Many people on the religious left perceive faith and science deeply connected. Virologists, like my father who helped develop polio vaccines, and other scientists, were inspired by God to be creative agents for change.

Many on the spiritual left understand God more as a nurturing, inclusive parent than a judgmental, strict, punishing father. The nurturing God's nature reveals a spectrum of gender-neutral images. Committed parents are all responsible for family safety, for raising children to feel loved, and free to seek life, liberty, and pursue happiness. The nurturing family learns to do what is right, and they are often confident and caring. The nurtured family has low levels of fear and high levels of hope and responsibility for themselves and for others.

My denomination, the United Church of Christ (UCC), is one on the spiritual left. Our origins include Pilgrims who came to America seeking religious freedom from hierarchal, patriarchal power and control. They founded Congregational churches. A characteristic of spiritual left Christians is service above self. We have faith in God's promise of eternal life demonstrated by Jesus Christ and accept the call to service in the Lord's Prayer to make "God's kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven." With this faith base, our Pocatello church forebears, railroad workers, recognized the need to prevent child labor and its inherent dangers, and to educate children. Congregational missionaries were called to Pocatello in the 1880s, helped set up a Sunday School and then a worshipping congregation on Center Street. A replica of the first chapel is above Ross Park. The congregation grew, expanded to the sanctuary built in 1904 at 309 North Garfield, and built more facilities over the years.

The current congregation is a diverse mix of people who enjoy worship, learning, leadership, service, and fellowship. The church perceives that its sacred place is a community asset and so hosts a wide range of groups ranging from AA to music of all kinds, dancing, physical fitness, bible study, and more. The worshipping congregation is a mix of young and old, educated and learning, wealthy and poor, gay and straight, and many more dimensions. We find unity in our diversity. We welcome all people, no matter where you are on life's journey. If you seek a still speaking God from a spiritual left perspective then come and check us out.

Larry Gebhardt