Symposium focusing on spirituality

Codrington College is hoping that their two-day international symposium will open the doors to the discussion of spirituality among all persons.

Speaking with the media following the morning session of their symposium, which was held on the grounds of Codrington College yesterday, Reverend Canon Noel Burke noted that the symposium is focused on spirituality.

“We realise that the Caribbean is a place where people take their religion very seriously, so we’re having the two-day symposium so that persons would get the opportunity to know where the world is at in terms of spirituality,” he said.

“There is quite a lot happening in the world and so we brought in a lot of experts in the area of spirituality. These experts are here to help us as we seek to put some flesh on the notion of spirituality.”

Burke noted that the symposium was the beginning or rather the start of a diploma in spirituality, where they will examine over a two-year period more of the elements and themes that come up in spirituality as well.

“One of the things that we realised around the world, and the Caribbean is not exempt, is that we have become rather materialistic. We have a materialistic approach to life and we focus so much within the context of the things that are passing away, rather than things that we should endure,” he said.

“So one of the things about the symposium that we are doing is getting persons to concentrate on the matters of the spirit, so that they realise that a human being is more than physical as we are spiritual beings as well.”

He explained that we were spiritual beings who were created by God Almighty, which is why it was important to pay attention to this spiritual aspect of our lives as well for our general well-being. He believed that while material things did hold a certain value, it was important for persons to remember not to give more value to things that are material.

“So material things do have value, but they mustn’t be given more value than things that are sacred and divine,” he said.