One Drop of Water, Joined with Another

  
Did you hear the news? Pope Benedict XVI said in Rome on May 19, that every Christian would benefit from spiritual direction! Yes, it’s true. Spiritual direction for more than the theology faculty from around the world that he was addressing. Spiritual direction for more than priests, nuns, and monks.

Spiritual direction for more than Catholics. He said,

“…again the Church continues to recommend the practice of spiritual direction, not only to all those who wish to follow the Lord up close, but to every Christian who wishes to live responsibly his baptism, that is, the new life in Christ.”

Imagine a world where approximately two billion people actively tend their spiritual lives by meeting regularly with a spiritual director! The Pope added the recommendation for spiritual direction “[to] everyone, in fact, and in a particular way all those who have received the divine call to a closer following, needs to be supported personally by a sure guide in doctrine and expert in the things of God.” Pope Benedict likened spiritual direction to that "personal relationship that the Lord had with his disciples, that special bond with which he led them, following him, to embrace the will of the Father (cf. Luke 22:42), that is, to embrace the cross."

Wow! That’s quite an ecumenical endorsement for the spiritual direction ministry we are called to serve. Of course the Pope’s validation of spiritual direction may not be important for all SDI members, especially our Jewish, Buddhist, and Muslim members. Yet, it is definitely worth celebrating when a global religious leader connects spiritual direction today with the “vast renewal movement [that] began in the Church by the testimony of Saints Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross. It aroused a rekindling of the ideals and fervor of contemplative life, which in the sixteenth century set afire, so to speak, Europe and the whole world.”

In essence, the Pope was inspiring theology faculty to bring forward for today the ancient practice of spiritual direction as a contemplative practice that has the potential for vast renewal of people and institutions. How exciting and refreshing!

So how will you celebrate and leverage the Pope’s encouragement for more people to engage in spiritual direction? I am reminded of Carmel Boyle’s chant, One Drop of Water that we sang together during the SDI Being Present conference in Dublin, Ireland:

One drop of water, joined with another

Joined with another, joined with another,

One drop of water, joined with another

Joined with another,

Joined with another,

Becomes a waterfall.

Because of your efforts, SDI’s dedication to raise awareness of spiritual direction, and validating statements from religious leaders, more and more people of every faith are learning about the value of spiritual direction.

You and I are the drops of water that come together to form a waterfall of refreshing renewal through the ministry and service of spiritual direction around the world and across traditions. Thank you for your participation in the global rivulets that are becoming main streams.

Here are some ideas of how to celebrate and reach out in your community: In June, you will receive invitations to include your name in the print version of the Seek and Find guide as well as encouragement to have SDI send for FREE a copy of the Seek and Find guide to someone in your community who needs to learn more about spiritual direction.

Could now be the right time to visit your local campus, hospital chaplaincy department, and houses of worship to let them know about spiritual direction? Spiritual Directors International publishes very affordable Explore brochures with space to include your business card to make your outreach easy. Order a bundle of fifty brochures online.

 

How will you celebrate this radically refreshing validation of spiritual direction? Share how you are celebrating and encouraging people in your community to engage in spiritual direction by adding a comment.

Sitting in a pew in Ebenezer Baptist Church, I begin writing this reflection for you. How do I describe my intense feelings while contemplating in this sacred space where Martin Luther King, Jr. and so many other social activists found courage and solace? At first I sit alone in the empty church listening to one of Dr. King’s sermons that is piped into the sanctuary. But the sanctuary is not empty. Generations of prayers and meditations radiate through the stain glass windows that have been lovingly restored to what the sanctuary looked like when Dr. King and his father, “Daddy King” were pastors here. It is what our Celtic brothers and sisters call a thin place.

Closing my eyes, I imagine Martin Luther King, Jr. at the pulpit, preaching to us as spiritual directors coming to Atlanta from around the world and across traditions. “Sometimes I feel discouraged, living every day under the threat of death, living every day under criticism…. Then the holy spirit revives my soul.” His personal words are every bit as relevant for today. They remind me of the work we do as holy listeners, mindful of the daily stresses yet trusting and teaching, “Then the holy spirit revives my soul.”

When I open my eyes, dozens of people have joined me in the pews: African American families with small children, a Danish tour group, a man from India. We have all made a pilgrimage to be inspired by sitting in these pews. Together we listen to Dr. King and hear in a new way the words of a familiar hymn sung by the choir that once sang here: “Oh When the Saints, Go Marching In…”

With newly aware eyes, I recognize a mountain behind the pulpit that Martin Luther King, Jr. must have seen every Sunday growing up. It’s a scene of a flowing river winding into a mountain range on a horizon.

During his last speech on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, he said, “And he’s allowed me to go to the mountain. And I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land.”

Across the street from Ebenezer Church, these words about the mountain are painted in a colorful mural of the winding life journey of Dr. King. His life brilliantly built upon the non-violent strategies of Mahatma Gandhi for creating a Beloved Community (do you see Gandhi looking over the shoulder of the King family in the top photo from the mural?).

My eyes well up with tears as I walk from the mural over to a full-size statue of Gandhi and read Dr. King’s words: ”Gandhi was inevitable. If humanity is to progress, Gandhi is inescapable. He lived, thought and acted, inspired by the vision of humanity evolving toward a world of peace and harmony. We may ignore him at our own risk.”

 

I imagine Gandhi coming to life and walking with his staff down the International Civil Rights of Fame.

 

It’s humbling and deeply moving to walk among actual size footprints of people who have continued the dream of creating a global Beloved Community. When I reach the small footprints of Rosa Parks, I pause and send you a prayer of gratefulness for your part in creating a global Beloved Community.
 

During the educational events, we celebrate spiritual direction as a courageous ministry for cultivating compassion. We gather together to be inspired by people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks and to continue the dream of creating a Beloved Community.

What is inspiring you as you enter the month of May? Let the global learning community of spiritual directors know on the blog or on Facebook.

How do you describe compassion?

That’s a question we will ask all participants in Atlanta during the upcoming “Cultivating Compassion” series of educational events. We’ll ask the question two times: once at the beginning of the conference and again at the end. Why? Because compassion isn’t static. Just as the compassionate listening we offer in spiritual direction changes over time, so does the way we understand and express compassion. In the global ministry of spiritual direction it is important for us to continually cultivate compassion toward ourselves, toward our spiritual companions, and toward the world we live in.

Even though you may not be joining us in Atlanta, I invite you to take part in an exercise that I hope will help you cultivate compassion in your ministry and service of spiritual direction. Three powerful, free, online, TED talk videos have been released in the past three years, each dedicated to compassion. I am recommending to all the upcoming Atlanta participants to watch at least one TED talk in preparation for the educational events.

The exercise is simple:
Before you watch any of the TED talks, write down how you describe compassion.
Then learn from one of these spiritual leaders by following the hyperlink on their photo or name. After watching the video, write down what you absorbed about compassion, not only in your head, but also in your heart. When you next meet with your spiritual companions, notice how you listen with compassion – is it the same or has something shifted?

“Why should I learn from these people?” you may ask. Here’s why (profile source: www.TED.com.):

Rabbi Jackie Tabick is known for being the first female rabbi in the UK and for her remarkable efforts to reach out to distinct faiths. She serves as chair to the World Congress of Faiths, working with patrons such as Rev. Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama towards deepening religious understanding, respect and co-operation. To this end, Rabbi Tabick also serves as an executive member of the Inter Faith Network, and the Three Faiths Forum, as well acting as patron for the Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE). The title of her talk, posted in 2008: The Balancing Act of Compassion

 

Religious thinker Karen Armstrong has written more than 20 books on faith and the major religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and how our faiths shaped world history and drive current events. "I say that religion isn't about believing things. It's ethical alchemy. It's about behaving in a way that changes you, that gives you intimations of holiness and sacredness." SDI is delighted to host Karen Armstrong's Charter of Compassion exhibit during the Atlanta educational events. The title of her talk, posted in 2009: Let's revive the Golden Rule

When Krista Tippett graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Yale, she saw a black hole where intelligent coverage of religion should be. As she conducted a far-flung oral history project for the Benedictines of St. John's Abbey, she began to imagine radio conversations about the spiritual and intellectual content of faith that could open minds and enrich public life. These imagined conversations became reality when she created "Speaking of Faith" (now "On Being"), which is broadcast on over 200 US pubic radio stations and globally by NPR. The title of her talk, posted in 2011: Reconnecting with Compassion

Reflection:
What are you noticing about the way compassion is being cultivated in you and through you? Please share your reflections on the blog, along with any reactions to the TED talks.

TED Talk video links

• Rabbi Jackie Tabick: The Balancing Act of Compassion
  
• Karen Armstrong: Let's revive the Golden Rule
• Krista Tippett: Reconnecting with Compassion

Shift Happens

I walked across the street in the rain to get a cup of coffee. After stirring the cream in my coffee, I saw that some cream had dripped to the floor and against the waste basket.

I noticed the witness in me pause and choose. There was a pause. Contemplative practice helps us notice the pauses when we can choose the next action, rather than let the next action choose us.

Once upon a time I would have seen if anyone were looking and cleaned up for their kudos.

Once upon another time I would have seen if anyone were looking and quickly walked away, as if I didn’t notice the cream on the floor.

Today, I witnessed myself cleaning up the cream, as if the floor had asked me to make it clean again. Did the coffee shop need me today? Did I need the coffee shop today?

In Tom Shadyac’s new film called I AM: the Shift is about to Hit the Fan, Tom tells his story of waking up to a shift that happened to him after a tragic bicycle accident. He was forced to pause from his career as he recovered. The pause created a shift that moved him away from living in Hollywood luxury while directing crazy comedies like Bruce Almighty and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective toward creating a documentary that connects science and spirituality by interviewing luminaries like Desmond Tutu and Noam Chomsky. Now Tom lives simply in a trailer park, riding his bicycle to work. His talent as a successful movie director is inviting mainstream moviegoers to pause and reflect on the actions we might take next on behalf of humanity and the environment.

Tom came to Seattle, Washington, USA for the film launch (pictured above) and met hundreds of mostly university students who showed up for the opening. During the question and answer period after the film, Tom listened intently to students’ concerns about the environment and how to find meaningful work. My favorite moment was when a student—way in the back of the theatre—raised her hand up high. When Tom called on her, she relinquished her turn to another younger woman who had patiently been holding up her unnoticed hand for a very long time. Her generous gesture caused Tom to pause with a big grin, as if the universe were affirming his choice of new work. The collective joy in his pause filled up the whole theatre.

Reflect

• What is your experience with pausing before action?
• How does the contemplative practice of meeting regularly with a spiritual director help you pause?

Please share your thoughts and comments.

Have you ever had a song arrive during contemplative practice, and it sticks around for a while? Do you remember the simple tune and lyric by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, “In my life, I love you more”?

This tune came to me the week of the tragic violence in Tucson, Arizona, USA, and has emerged repeatedly since then. As I learn of personal tragedies in my friends’ lives and witness violent struggles in Tunisia and Egypt, the song beckons me gently to notice love in the midst of the specifics and beyond.

I am not alone in discovering the potency of this Beatles song. Read the lyrics, and then the stories of how others’ have encountered them:

There are places I’ll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more.

•    “My favourite Beatles song. It’s the song that opens my bar mitzvah video.”

•    “This is the song they played at my brother's funeral. I, like most people, have never really heard it before. It makes me cry each time I hear it because it reminds me of him obviously. 'Some forever not for better' ... I do remember the good and bad. Regardless of what it is about it is special to me. And in my life, I did love him more.”

•    “When my daughter was born, she was delivered by C-Section. I was in the delivery room and got to hold her. Once she was bundled up, the Dr. said I should take her out to the waiting area while they closed the incision. I took her out and held her. I sat there with tears rolling down my face and sang this song to her. I thought it should be the first. I still do.”

•    “I chose this song for my daughter and I to dance to at her wedding....It perfectly sums up my love for her, and my hopes for her future. She won't know what song I picked until the wedding, but I'm positive there won't be a dry eye in the place.”

Reflect
The transcendent quality to this Beatles song surpasses life, love, and death. Try substituting “God” for the word “you” in the lyrics and a divine love song emerges. This divine love song comforts me and draws me closer to God, to life, to love, and to the transcendence of death to a newer, broader, inclusive love in this life and beyond.

What love songs draw you closer to God?
Which popular love songs orient you to divine love?
How is music a way God is reaching out to you and to the people you companion?

Please share your thoughts on the blog.

Jean Vanier and Sister Elisabeth le Jariel, RSCJ

In the New Year, when will you make time for a personal retreat, to nourish your soul and practice compassion for yourself, which ripples out into our families, communities, and world?

Near the end of last year, I made a silent retreat at a retreat center located in a tiny village called Trosly in northern France. Jean Vanier directed the retreat. Jean is the founder of the international movement of L'Arche communities, where people who have developmental disabilities and the friends who assist them create homes and share life together. I am deeply grateful for Sister Elisabeth le Jariel, RSCJ, a spiritual director and chaplain in Paris, France, who invited me to join her on the retreat titled, “Community: A Place for Forgiveness and Celebration.” Jean and Elisabeth are pictured above.

Describing the value of silent retreats is difficult, especially to family and friends who cannot fathom choosing to fast from television, radio, newspapers, e-mail, social networking, and conversation for a week to enter deeply contemplative space and touch into kairos time. Even my dear husband, Steve, thinks I am nuts. Yet he admits he notices a difference when I return renewed and awake to life in new ways. Thank God for soul friends like Elisabeth who understand the need to be in silence and know just the place to be.

The flow of the retreat included meals in silence, a morning and afternoon inspirational talk by Jean Vanier, and ample time for contemplative practices like walking meditation, praying, creating haikus and contemplative photographs, meeting with a spiritual director, and daily Mass with the local L’Arche community. People from all over the world, but mostly from France, participated in the retreat. While I cannot tell you much about their personal stories, a week in silence together built community amongst us. One of the most moving moments came near the end of the retreat when Jean invited us to wash each other’s feet. Tears of deep belonging flowed as we cared for each other with tenderness, in silence.

In his book, Becoming Human, Jean wrote, “My vision is that belonging should be at the heart of a fundamental discovery: that we all belong to a common humanity, the human race. We may be rooted in a specific family and culture but we come to this earth to open up to others, to serve them and receive the gifts they bring to us, as well as to all of humanity.”

You will do a world of good for yourself and for all of humanity by tending to your soul in 2011 by making a retreat. Moreover, perhaps it would be appropriate to start now, encouraging the people you companion to plan ahead for a retreat this year. Dream a little—where would you go?  Retreat possibilities are numerous—including everyday life retreats, silent retreats, online retreats, and group retreats. If you need ideas about where to make a retreat, check out the listings in the back of Presence journal, look in Connections e-newsletter, or review the global resources in Listen. Consider this: in May join the silent retreat following the Spiritual Directors International conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Or go online to the Resources section of the Spiritual Directors International website—a global searchable listing shows retreat centers with spiritual directors on a world map. You will find retreat centers all over the world waiting for you to come home to your soul.

In the comments section on the blog, please share your stories about what happens to you on retreat.

Happy New Year!

The night before the journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, I slept restlessly. I felt anxious about crossing into Palestinian Territories through heavily armed border gates, past the haunting huge wall that seems to go on forever separating Jerusalem from Bethlehem.  As a fledgling pilgrim group from Africa, Europe, North, and South America, I knew the day would rattle us. Shaking us out of our spiritual comfort zone, we would witness a divided Israel up close and hear stories from local people about how the barriers affect living in the West Bank.

I also worried about the olive tree. We planned on planting a tree as a visible sign of hope and a gift of peace from the Spiritual Directors International community. I tossed and turned in my sleep, fretting about the health of the tree after we planted it. Who will water it and help it grow?

When dawn finally arrived, I was grateful for the pilgrim community and the contemplative practice time we spent together, preparing us for the day. My huge anxiety from the night before shrunk to a little distress. I silently breathed in and out the phrase, “Fear not,” while boarding the bus, not knowing yet that God would offer courage in the dark skies overhead.

No kidding. A rainbow appeared on our way to Bethlehem.

Not only that, the one time we experienced rain during the entire interfaith pilgrimage to Israel and Palestine was when we traveled to Bethlehem. The rainbow and rain lifted my spirits, reminding me that God guided the pilgrimage and that people all over the world were praying with us and for us just as we were praying with and for you.

Not only would God be present with us, but also with the Palestinians, the Israelis, the Muslims, the Jews, the Christians—with everyone—during that day and into the far future. God would care for the olive tree. And sure enough, a Palestinian family helped us plant the olive tree. They expressed their gratitude for the gift of a tree that now grows in their field as a reminder of hope.

At the end of an intense day in and around Bethlehem, I could hold my anxiety about the future of Israel and Palestine with a new kind of hope. Not the clean, clear, logical kind of hope that lives in my head, but a hope that is embodied, earthy like the mud that we planted the tree in. My body knows that the graffiti-covered wall that now separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem previously was open land supporting simple shepherds who once noticed a strange, starry, sign of hope in the night sky. I squinted into the hillside and imagined a landscape where only olive trees separated Bethlehem and Jerusalem, remembering that in this season, “with God, all things are possible.”

Like a simple shepherd, I invite us to look up, look around, and notice signs of hope during this sacred season. It has been a brutal year for many people and for the planet. Where are you noticing signs of hope?

Please add your stories of hope to the blog.

Please join me in saying thank you! to the everyday saints behind the scenes who make the publications and educational programs possible: the volunteers and staff of Spiritual Directors International. This past fiscal year, hundreds of volunteers helped Spiritual Directors International celebrate its twentieth anniversary by sharing their gifts of hospitality and wisdom during educational events including Being Present in Dublin, Ireland; the "Parliament of the World’s Religions" in Melbourne, Australia; Gratefulness: the Heart of Spiritual Care in San Francisco, USA; and the Pilgrimage Journey to the Heart in Israel and Palestine. We thank the editorial review panel volunteers who read and edited scores of manuscripts submitted for publication in Presence journal. Thank you to writers, poets, and artists who make Listen, Connections, Membership Moments and the blog come alive by bringing beauty into the world. Thank you for your everyday saintly acts of offering contemplative practices of prayers, blessings, meditations, and financial support to the global learning community.

I want to especially lift up and celebrate the tiny yet mighty staff of Spiritual Directors International pictured above during our September staff retreat (left to right: Jennifer Williams, Molly Bauthues, Nick Wagner, Reggie Dirnberger, Pegge Bernecker, Sue Espinosa, and yours truly: Liz Ellmann). Even though almost everyone who works for Spiritual Directors International is a part-time contractor, we have formed a special bond over the years. We know how to knuckle down to hard work and lighten up to joy. For example, during the retreat, we were concerned that Nick might feel a bit lonely as the only guy, so we surprised him by showing him our mustaches! Without missing a beat, when Molly handed Nick a skirt, he promptly positioned it over his head like a veil. Toby Becker was not able to attend the staff retreat because of the arrival of triplets, pictured below (Josie Belle, Conley Tobias, Eveline Lila). We surround Toby and other extended staff family of Spiritual Directors International with love and appreciation.

As we near the end of a year celebrating Spiritual Directors International’s twentieth anniversary, we have much to be grateful for: the world is awakening to the potential for contemplative practice to foster peace and justice. The resources and networks of Spiritual Directors International are well positioned to collaborate with other organizations in an emerging global contemplative alliance. We are working with other organizations to continue listening for ways to introduce contemplative practices like prayer, meditation, mindfulness, and meeting regularly with a spiritual director, to alleviate suffering in the world. Thank you for your participation and your loving support. We feel it! We hope you feel our joyful hearts beaming back to you in gratitude.

Would you like to share a word of thanks to a Spiritual Directors International volunteer or staff person who brought you joy or made your experience in the global learning community special this year?

Please share your story by adding a comment to this blog.
 

Spiritual Directors International participated in the Spiritual Care Summit gathering of North American chaplains. The chair of the summit, George Grant, PhD, visited the Spiritual Directors International booth and is pictured with Lisa Irish (in the background, Bobbi Breitman and Carol Ludwig). Member Bobbi Wright, a spiritual director and a chaplain, writes about the thread that links spiritual direction and chaplaincy in the Christian tradition:

The connection between chaplaincy and spiritual direction is that of holy listening. Listening is one of the most important gifts that we can give the each other. Holy listening entails silencing all noise and interruptions around us and centering in on the other. It involves also bringing the Holy One into the moment. We listen and talk differently when someone else is listening. In our holy silence, we not only listen to ourselves, but also to the Other. As we practice this in our daily lives, we can listen this way with anyone we encounter. What a powerful message this sends. We are indeed blessed with God-given goodness and beauty of the gift of listening.

Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction welcomes three new members to the editorial review panel:

• Gordon Self from Alberta, Canada
  
• Gloria Tiede from Vancouver, Canada
  
• Doug Gregg from St. George, Utah, USA

For a full list of current panel members, click here.