Reflection: We have a problem…
By Jane Lee Wolfe
We have a problem…
Here’s the problem in context: We know that it is important to attend to our body’s condition whether we bother or not. We know it is important to attend to our brain’s ability – we pretty much have to go to school in the USA. Still, we don’t seem to believe it’s very important to attend to our soul. A dismissive attitude from those that don’t believe there is such a thing as a soul or spiritual life is understandable. However, for those who believe there is “something spiritual about us,” we are pretty neglectful when it comes to that “something.”
We don’t seem to believe it’s very important to attend to our soul.
The amount of time, concern and discipline we spend on the body and the brain far exceeds the amount of time, concern and discipline we spend attending to our soul. Further, even when we are willing to spend some time, concern and discipline on the soul, we really don’t know where to turn for help. There’s no soul gym, or soul school in our town. There are religious institutions, but many of them are once-a-week oriented; and we know from gym and school that once-a-week isn’t the route to sustainable health and fitness, for body, mind or soul.
We turn to books and blogs if we are readers, to talks and meditation apps if we are listeners, and to yoga classes if they are offered because they have a spiritual dimension. These are all wonderful and spiritually helpful things to do; our soul is happy and pleased. Yet the soul knows it is capable of more, that these practices are not engaging it as fully and as powerfully as it can be engaged in our spiritual health. We are incomplete.
What is missing? A supportive community, individual attention, disciplined goals and powerful humility are missing. We may be loners, but our soul needs the safety of experiencing itself as not alone on its journey of growth and fulfillment. We also need a friend, a person to talk to, to check in with as we walk on this journey. We need the nurture of another person’s experience and wisdom both in the good times and for the rough spots and failures. We need a solid program for spiritual health and fitness to work through as we grow our souls. Lastly, we need to allow within our souls a rich and courageous humility to develop that assures we grow the ability to honest about our ups and downs, pleasures and pains, our progresses and backslides. Humility is being ok with ourselves and happy with our ability to bring love, peace and joy into our own lives and into the lives of others.
The soul wants as much time, concern and attention as the body and brain do.
We have a problem, but we can solve it. The soul wants to have as much time, concern and disciplined attention as the body and brain do. It wants to be part of an integrated person able to live with anyone – broken or whole. It wants to be healthy enough to help others along the road of spiritual health and fitness, the road of love and peace and joy. The help is out there. Take a listen to where it is in your community. You will find it if you listen. It is there.