What Makes You Come Alive?
A stunning photo of Dr. Chris Townley “going for a walk with Howard Thurman” through the breathtaking landscapes of Patagonia, South America.
Dr. Chris Townley has been a trusted friend, accomplice, colleague, and pastor for almost two decades, faithfully engaging in the good and challenging work of justice and community building. He is a gifted writer and recently completed his dissertation, A Trinitarian Vision for Shared Leadership: Embracing Hospitality as a Transformative Pathway, which will soon be published as a book! We are honored to count him among our dearest friends and to have him serve on our Board of Advisors for BLK South. Learn More
If I was forced to choose one person to read and offer guidance for the rest of my life, that person would be Howard Thurman.
As I’ve gotten to know him, and hope to meet him anew through the eyes of writer, Lerita Coleman Brown, I have always loved the way his most famous quote came about. It tells us so much about the type of person he was. Brown even titled her book based on the quote. Her book is titled, What Makes You Come Alive: A Spiritual Walk with Howard Thurman. And the quote reads like this:
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.”
This most famous quote of Howard Thurman is not some inspiring statement that he developed to launch a career as a spiritual guru. Instead, this quote is found in the acknowledgements section of Gil Bailie’s book, Violence Unveiled. Turns out Thurman offered such words in the midst of a conversation where Baile was seeking advice as he contemplated what needed to be done in the world. I’d love to ask Thurman that question today.
And so I’m asking of my own life, for the umpteenth time: What makes me come alive?
In the first chapter of Coleman’s book I’m drawn anew to the ways in which Thurman weaved spirituality and racial justice together in a form of “sacred activism.” He elevates Jesus as the initiator of a “nonviolent religion with a liberating spirituality” in which his message has always been for all “who have their backs against the wall.”
Photo of Howard Thurman taken from his public Facebook page.
This vision makes me come alive. In Thurman’s pastoral work in San Francisco (another vision of his that has inspired my own life), he introduced the congregation to the practice of silence. He even implemented 20-30 minute meditation sessions prior to the service for any who wished to join. Could this same approach fuel my writing? My living? Could this grow my work in merging contemplation and action as a vision of “liberating spirituality” for the future of the multiethnic church in America?
To begin evaluating what makes me come alive I’m taking the time to engage this book and the reflections it inspires. For too long, I have been trying to escape, trying to quit. And as a result I have closed in on myself, separating myself from communal connection and personal reflection. Following the lead of (or going for a walk with) Howard Thurman, I’m seeking to “center down” in search of spiritual renewal. I am in need of a spiritual reconstruction. Maybe you are too. And as Brown gently reminds us,
“This task - spiritual reconstruction - may sound daunting. But with Thurman’s guidance, we walk together toward a reconstructed spirituality, remaining open to surprise gifts and knowing that we are not alone.”
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Howard Thurman spoke of a “liberating spirituality” that integrates contemplation and action. How might silence, reflection, or other practices help fuel your engagement with the world?
As you reflect on your own journey, what activities, relationships, or moments have sparked a deep sense of aliveness in you? How might you lean into those more intentionally?
R E C O M M E N D E D R E A D I N G
