In his new book, A New Way to Be Human: 7 Spiritual Pathways to Becoming Fully Alive, Robert V. Taylor—the first openly gay Episcopal dean in the United States—shares how he "moved from fear into a place of enormous love and impact." The book weaves lessons of spiritual guidance with personal anecdotes, using the tapestry of Taylor's own life story as a template for spiritual evolution.
In the book's forward, Desmond M. Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Taylor's own spiritual mentor, writes, "In a time when some people invoke the mantle of religion to divide and destroy, this book is a reminder of the God of Love who existed before religion."
In a recent interview with Windy City Times, Taylor, a nationally known speaker, writer and social-justice activist, voiced his inspiration for writing A New Way to Be Human. "The book is essentially about how to be happy and how to change the world. And by happiness I mean really caring about your own well-being," he said. "When you care about your own well-being, you start to care about the well-being of other people. And that leads you into actions that help to make the world a more inclusive and loving place."
Taylor delves into his spiritual kinship with Tutu within the first of the book's seven chapters, or "Pathways," titled "Connecting Stories." He cites their shared passion for ending apartheid in South Africa as the common ground that "became holy terrain." Here, Taylor recounts how Tutu helped him escape to the United States as a way of avoiding imprisonment upon Taylor's refusal to enlist in South Africa's army.
In this first pathway, Taylor illustrates how his willingness to overcome fear and share his own story with Tutu transformed his life. Next, he invites the reader to do the same. The proceeding six pathways ("Hairpin Curves of Life," "Becoming Fully Alive," etc.) encourage the reader, in different ways, to choose openness and honesty over fear and enclosure.
"The book presents the seven pathways to people as a way to create a spiritual positioning system for their lives," said Taylor.
The author acknowledged, however, that even he sometimes struggles with one of the pathways: "I think the 'Hairpin Curves of Life' are always a cutting edge for me. I like a certain degree of familiarity and certainty about my life. And then you get a complete curveball and it changes everything. … For me, the challenge in that is always to be grounded enough to see what that moment might be beckoning me towards."
Following his immigration to the United States in his early 20s, Taylor devoted much of his adult ministry to helping others overcome unexpected adversity. Notably, Taylor served in the Diocese of New York from 1983 to 1999, where he helped to build a community social service center offering HIV/AIDS programs to veterans and people of color. "We conjured up doing an educational series (on AIDS) for religious leaders throughout Westchester County," said Taylor, of his ministry in the mid-'80s. "We did mailings to [more than] a thousand religious leaders of many different traditions. Helping to spread awareness in the larger community was, I thought, absolutely critical."
Taylor continues to be a fervent advocate for the equality and dignity of LGBT people. When asked if he had any advice for Queer people seeking spiritual fulfillment in a church that might not be accepting of their sexuality, Taylor said, "First, know that you are loved for who you are. Be compassionate about yourself and celebrate who you are. I don't believe there are any mistakes with any of us.
"If you are judged for the magnificence of who you are as a gay or a lesbian or transgender person, if you have the courage to have a conversation with that [religious] community, they will only then begin to engage in a richer, more truthful conversation when dealing with the reality of you as a member of that community. Now, I say that knowing that takes a certain amount of courage and risk. ... But if you can't be loved and accepted in all your magnificence, I would suggest looking for a community where you are welcome and can do the real work you need to do on your own journey to a new way to be human as an LBGT person."
Taylor will spend most of this next year on the road, speaking across the country and spreading the book's message.
As he reflected on the message of his book, Taylor recalled a "singular image" from his first days as Dean at St. Mark's Cathedral. A group of 40 newcomers had gathered to share stories of their individual journeys. Their combined spiritual experiences encompassed Christianity, Judaism, Sufi and Hindu traditions, among many others. "So many of us in this time of an emergence of a new consciousness are realizing that no one religion has the hold on truth," said Taylor. "But there is wisdom to be found and to be used in our practices for the journey on the new way to be human."
Taylor will speak at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., 2-4 p.m., on Sunday, May 6. See www.CenterOnHalsted.org .
A New Way to Be Human: 7 Spiritual Pathways to Becoming Fully Alive," by Robert Taylor, is available for purchase at www.Amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com .
Also, visit www.robertvtaylor.com or his blog at www.wakeupforlife.com .
