Peter Owen-Jones Interview, Spiritual Faith & Living an Holistic Life part2
PART 2
Peter Owen-Jones is an Anglican Priest, based in East Sussex, UK and is a well known face on BBC television for the documentaries: Around the world in 80 Faiths, The Extreme Pilgrim, How to Live a Simple Life, Taking Advice from St Francis of Assisi, The Lost Gospels and is also as an author.
I was keen to meet Peter as, after watching the BBC programmes 80 Faiths and Extreme Pilgrim, they had quite an impact on me. I questioning what my own faith was. Did I even had a faith. Who was I and what was I offering the world?
Peter was speaking at a festival that I was attending so I had the opportunity to catch up with him. I listened to him reading extracts from his book, Letters from an Extreme Pilgrim, Reflections on Life, Love and the Soul. In this he describes living an austere life as a Chinese Buddhist monk, a Christian monk and an Indian ascetic. (you can order his books via the link to Amazon on this page /site)
Continuation of interview – Read Part 1 here
Linzi – From from world-wide travels and existing/staying within some challenging environments, meeting people from all faiths and spiritual beliefs. Even when there is little physical comfort afforded would you say that having a spiritual connection helps people to survive and thrive?
Peter – I would personally say that spiritual comfort is a state of mind. It is not about physical things, it is about where you are mentally. You can be in a crowd, on a train in India or stuck in a cave somewhere. It’s whether YOU are comfortable, not whether IT is comfortable. If YOU are comfortable then YOU WILL BE comfortable there. Having a faith in some ways can be a great defence against the realities of the world. That is when I think faith is at its worst, when you are invited into a box, to adhere to certain rules so that you don’t have to actually recognise your fragility, your own beauty. All you have to do is accept these rules and you will be saved. That I don’t think is faith, I think it is prison. Faith which I think helps people survive is the faith of Love. It is the only faith that will help anyone survive in any adversity. If you have love in the face of adversity then that will help you survive.
Linzi – Yes, a very powerful message.
Linzi – Is there an ideal spiritual life?
After a thoughtful pause, Peter responded – I think a spiritual life is allowing oneself the process of becoming more and more vulnerable. Not to see the mask of strength that’s ever going to rescue us from any situation. To be able to take that mask off and be vulnerable, sensitive, feeling human beings, that all of us are. Most of us choose to hid behind masks of strength, me included. In that sense if a religion is offering that path, if a religion is promising to make you stronger then I would not touch it with a bargepole (meaning = keeping it at a very long distance away). If it promises to make you more vulnerable, more fragile, to make you more aware, to open you – that’s always painful. Then I might have a look at that one (religion).
Linzi – Thank you Peter, I appreciate your time. Enjoy your travels.
Interviewer: Linzi Martin, Sleep Well and Live Well consultant www.FeelGoodZone.com
Recent TV appearance – National Geographic TV channel, series When Rome Ruled, programme The Holy Spear. First aired 12 December 2010
Further information:
Background from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Owen-Jones
Peter Owen-Jones (b 1957) is an English Anglican clergyman, author and television presenter.
Moving to London he started in advertising as a messenger boy and worked his way up to creative director. In his late 20s he gave up his commercial life to follow a calling to the Anglican ministry. In early 1996 he gained notoriety when he conducted a service for the Newbury bypass (road) protestors. He was recruited by the BBC to front a series of religious television programmes which would look at different aspects of Christian and other faiths.
Recent Books: ▪ Around the World in 80 Faiths ▪ Letters from the Moon (2010) ▪ Letters from an Extreme Pilgrim: Reflections on Life, Love and the Soul (2010)
