This blog is about everyday spirituality … and I’ve noticed that for those of us who are commuters or are in our cars a lot for other reasons, a portion of our spirituality is practiced in the car. So, it seemed reasonable to look a little closer at that.
How can you conduct a spiritual practice in your car? For starters, you can pray – right out loud. You aren’t likely to be so loud as to disturb your neighbors in their cars, and sometimes praying out loud is a good way to keep yourself on track and avoid the mind-wandering that can happen with silent prayer.
Another thing is to practice gratitudes. Imagine if you have a 20-minute commute and you spend all of it stating aloud thanksgiving for everything you can think of for which you are grateful. I’ve done this and can attest that it’s a great way to arrive at your destination happier than you likely would have otherwise.
A third thing is to practice blessing others. Most of us, I guess, pray for the safety and well-being of people we know and love, but blessing others from your position inside your car gives you a much wider field of persons to bless because you can lift up every individual you see. They may be total strangers, but for a brief moment they are in your proximity, and both your life and theirs will be enhanced by your blessing.
In his time, back when BC was changing to AD, Jesus advised people to go into their closets to pray (Matthew 6:6). Who knows: maybe today he would advise going into your cars to pray.
