I love Broadway musicals.
The thrill of live theater. A compelling story. Music that moves me to tears or fills me with joy.
I’ve seen my share of musicals over the years, but only a few rank in my list of all-time favorites. Two of those are Rent and Les Misérables.
The song “Seasons of Love” from Rent includes these lyrics:
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes.
How do you measure a year?
….
Measure your life in love.
At the end of Les Misérables, members of the cast sing: “To love another person is to see the face of God.”
What do these musicals have to do with spiritual direction?
They remind me of the importance of Love, one of my core values.
I believe we are put on this earth to love and to be loved. It’s a love deeper than a sentimental Valentine’s Day card.
We demonstrate love by showing up for one another.
This is what I do as a spiritual director. I show up and walk alongside others, offering a safe space of nonjudgmental acceptance and open listening where they can explore the unfolding of their sacred stories and discover the wisdom that lies within.
For more than ten years, I’ve been sitting across from a spiritual director for an hour every four to six weeks. I’ve had three different spiritual directors, each of them with a slightly different approach. One used art as a pathway to deeper truths, helping me move from head to heart. Another offered energy work as a part of her practice, helping me find balance and peace in my body. All three of them have one thing in common: they created a space where I felt seen, heard, known, and loved.
Spiritual direction has offered me the opportunity to dance with essential and deep questions of life. Who am I? Who (or what) is God? Where do I find meaning? To what am I being called? What spiritual practices sustain me? I’ve explored my deepest longings and struggles during dark nights of the soul when I couldn’t see a way forward. Spiritual directors have helped me discern next steps and have recognized and acknowledged my gifts.
Rev. SeiFu Anil Singh-Molares, SDI Executive Director, writes this about spiritual directors:
Ideally, [spiritual directors] are mirrors that allow you to see yourself more clearly. We strive very hard not to impose our own vision, so as not to distort the image. All of this is meant to allow you to see what is already inside you. What is already whole.
That is what spiritual direction has done for me. It’s what I strive to do for others as a spiritual director.
Contact me if you’re interested in scheduling a FREE initial session to explore whether spiritual direction is right for you.
