Most of us know that meaningful connections with other people make us feel peaceful and emotionally safe. But what some of us don't know is that this extends to the spiritual realm, too. You can learn a lot about yourself and God from a community that both inspires and challenges you spiritually. One specific thing you can do to spiritually connect with others is to have spiritual conversations.Talking to friends about spiritual topics opens your eyes to perspectives you haven't considered before. It helps iron out some of the spiritual kinks you or your friends may have. It can also give you new ideas for your own spiritual practice. People are some of your best spiritual resources for improving your spirituality.

Spiritual Conversations Etiquette

However, the idea of spiritual conversations can be stressful. Spirituality is a really personal topic, so you may be wary of offending people. And how do you stay grounded in your beliefs while remaining kind to others about theirs? Here are some tips to ensure that your spiritual conversations stay uplifting and not degrading.

  • Be curious about others' perspectives. Choose not to take personal offense if someone believes differently from you. If you disagree, don't treat it as an opportunity to prove them wrong. Have an attitude of curiosity. Ask, "Why do you feel that way?" or "Can you tell me more about that?" Try to understand where they're coming from instead of shutting down their idea.
  • Don't try to convince others of your personal beliefs. In the same vein as the above bullet point, you don't need to prove your faith to anyone. Share things that will contribute to the conversation, and be careful not to share things that will make others uncomfortable.
  • Offer to pray for one another. Throughout the conversation, you might want to pray for the people with you. Maybe they're going through a rough time or struggling spiritually. You can pray at that moment, silently or aloud, or you can wait until you are alone in your personal prayer.
  • Pray together. If all participating in the discussion are comfortable with it, then pray together. For planned conversations, it might be helpful to pray at the beginning, inviting your collective sense of the divine to be there with you as you discuss.
  • Keep things general when possible. Even though spiritual beliefs vary, everyone there will have a sense of spirituality. If the circumstances allow, say things in a general sense that most people can identify with. You probably have more in common than you think.

Everyone has the right to believe how they choose. I believe it's healthy to expose yourself to different opinions than your own to gain a broader perspective on the world. Keeping these etiquette tips in mind will help you do this without conflict.

20 Spiritual Conversation Starters

So you've got a group of friends who want to talk spirituality, and you've mastered your spiritual conversation etiquette. You're ready to listen, share, and learn. But where do you start? What topics even qualify as "spiritual?" The cool thing is that spirituality is pretty all-encompassing and can apply to almost everything in life. So, big "life" questions can be a good place to start. After that, you can talk about individual spiritual beliefs and practices.

  1. What makes life meaningful?
  2. What experience has been a turning point in your life?
  3. Looking ahead, what direction would you like your life to go?
  4. How do you deal with discouragement, sadness, and stress?
  5. What do you do to find happiness?
  6. What is your life purpose, and how did you discover it?
  7. Do you think life should be fair? Is life fair?
  8. What things are you most thankful for?
  9. What is special about your closest relationships?
  10. Who has had the greatest impact on you and why?
  11. Do you have a spiritual role model? If so, who is it and why?
  12. What makes you spiritual?
  13. How would you describe (your sense of) God?
  14. When do you feel the most connected to divinity?
  15. What is your belief on what happens after we die?
  16. Where do you get the motivation to be spiritual?
  17. Do you have any spiritual rituals? If so, what are they?
  18. What spiritual practices have been the most effective for you?
  19. How do you find answers to your spiritual questions?
  20. Why is spirituality "worth it" for you?

Get Inspired and Start Talking

Hopefully, those 20 conversation starters got your mind flowing. Maybe you've thought of a few questions of your own to ask your spiritual friends. Set up a time to have a spiritual conversation--over Zoom, in-person, or even over text. And if a set time isn't your vibe, just ask a spiritual friend one of these questions the next time you're together. Whatever form your discussion takes, all can benefit spiritually. You have a lot to offer each other.

Posted 
Feb 21, 2022
 in 
Spirituality
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