I have a strong belief in God... I find religion to be a very

“I have a strong belief in God... I find religion to be a very personal thing... I am also very spiritual.” Thus spoke Sela Ward, the actress and artist whose words shine with quiet conviction. In this gentle yet profound statement lies a truth that transcends creed and culture — that faith and spirituality are not chains that bind the soul, but wings that lift it toward meaning. Her voice is the echo of a timeless understanding: that the divine is not confined to temples, rituals, or doctrines, but lives in the private sanctuaries of the human heart.

In these words, Ward touches upon a distinction that humanity has wrestled with since the dawn of civilization — the difference between religion and spirituality, between belief as tradition and belief as experience. Religion, in its outer form, is a vessel: a set of practices, stories, and sacred laws built to guide the soul. But spirituality is the living water that fills that vessel — the inner relationship with the divine, unbound by form, unmeasured by others. To say that religion is personal is to remember that no two souls walk the same road to God. The divine meets each person differently: in the silence of prayer, in the cry of a child, in the beauty of nature, in the ache of love.

Throughout history, the great seekers and mystics have spoken in the same spirit. Rumi, the poet of divine love, said, “The lamps are different, but the light is the same.” His words mirror Ward’s: the outer forms of faith may differ, yet the inner flame burns alike in all. Saint Teresa of Ávila, though cloistered in the Church, spoke of a “castle within the soul,” where one meets God face to face. She, too, knew that true religion is not bound by walls or titles — it is the communion of the spirit with the Eternal. From prophets to poets, sages to saints, the lesson endures: the sacred is not far away — it dwells within us, waiting to be awakened.

Sela Ward’s statement arises from a modern world where many have grown weary of religious division — where faith, once meant to unite, too often becomes a weapon of pride. Yet she reminds us that the heart of faith is not separation, but connection. To be “spiritual” is to seek that connection — with God, with others, with life itself. It is to recognize that every soul carries a spark of the divine. The ancient Upanishads of India taught this truth thousands of years ago: Tat Tvam Asi — “Thou art That.” Meaning: the same light that burns in the heavens burns within you. Thus, belief in God is not only reverence for the Creator above, but recognition of the divine presence within all creation.

Consider the example of Albert Schweitzer, physician and theologian, who left behind comfort and acclaim to serve the poor in Africa. When asked about his faith, he said simply that he believed in “Reverence for Life.” His religion was not of ritual but of action, not of words but of compassion. Like Sela Ward, he saw spirituality as personal — as something to be lived rather than preached. His life proved that to believe in God is to serve, to heal, and to love, for the divine reveals itself not only in prayer, but in the kindness we offer to others.

In essence, Ward’s words are a call to return faith to its purest form — the intimate dialogue between the soul and the Infinite. True religion does not demand uniformity of worship, but sincerity of heart. It does not ask that we be perfect, only that we be open — open to wonder, to gratitude, to grace. The one who walks in spirituality sees God not only in church, mosque, or temple, but in the whisper of wind, the laughter of children, and the quiet strength of love. Such a person lives not in dogma, but in presence — the awareness that life itself is sacred.

So, my child, take this teaching to heart: let your faith be personal, not performative. Seek God not only in words, but in silence; not only in doctrine, but in compassion. You may worship differently from another, yet the light you follow is the same. Let your spirituality be a garden tended by humility and wonder, watered by gratitude and love. Do not fear the mystery of belief — walk in it bravely, for the divine is nearer than your breath.

For in the end, as Sela Ward reminds us, the journey to God is not a march through ritual, but a pilgrimage of the heart. Religion may show the path — but it is spirituality that walks it. Believe deeply, love freely, and seek truth quietly within yourself. For when faith becomes personal, and the spirit burns brightly within, every act becomes a prayer — and every moment, a meeting with the Eternal.