Sacred Kinship Part 4
February 28, 2025
Sacred Kinship Part 4
A dear person with whom I share a spiritual kinship recently had a health crisis. They were in that scary time while awaiting the results of medical tests. Fear and uncertainty over health matters can be pretty challenging for anyone. I was feeling their anxiety and realized that they would benefit from some much-needed support from our spiritual community, of which they are a part.
Since they are well-acquainted with the spirituality of the Enneagram, I asked if I could spend some time with them going over the healing nature of each Holy Idea. We sat together in silence and focused on our hearts. In heart coherence, we meditated and then prayed, as we do in our intensive study weekends. After the prayer, we reviewed the nine Holy Ideas as they applied to their situation.
The Holy Ideas provide a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree look at the fantastic energies to which we have immediate access. As we went through the healing propensities of all the Holy Ideas, I felt the person relaxing on a profound level. They directly experienced each of the Holy Ideas and how they currently applied to them. After the process, they said, “I have re-connected to these holy perspectives that are within me, and as a result, feel peace and assurance that I’ve not had since my health issues began.”
Spiritual communities share specific kinds of beliefs. Faith-based spiritual communities share beliefs, interpretations of holy scripture, and universal truths. They also share rituals and approaches to healing and transformation. These commonalities spring forth sacred kinship that bonds them together and creates support networks. Though dear souls outside our sacred communities support us, the type of support in our sacred communities differs from support outside them. When giving or receiving support from a person in our sacred community, we draw on a depth of intimate understanding and meaning that we cannot readily receive in other communities.
When Lark and I went through the loss of our daughter Lauren, besides the immense and loving support from our family and dear friends, our sacred communities ministered to us with deep care and understanding. They still do. Members of our home church and the Institute for Conscious Being provided a support built upon our shared perspectives, and approaches to life, death, and healing. The two sacred communities supported us in different ways, and with the support of our friends and family, we were lifted up and through very challenging times. In short, we experienced that family, dear friends, and the sacred community are powerful conduits of God’s most intimate caring.
Spiritual practice: Think of the last time you gave support to someone in your sacred community. What was the feeling inside you that confirmed that yours was a unique contribution to their support? I invite you to process your answers in your spiritual journal.
Self-inquiry: How do you experience the role of intimacy in giving and receiving support in difficult times?
Dear God,
With a grateful heart, I thank you for your sacred community, for these are your people and the sheep of your pasture. Amen
