“I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.”
(3 John 2)
How do we find harmony in our body, soul, and spirit? Are humans created to be three entities in one as God is in the Trinity? What is the distinction in the functions of each of our three parts? Instincts tell us we sometimes just "know" something without any concrete evidence of it. Where exactly is our spirit? How do the soul and spirit interact? A conceptual figure of the body, spirit, and soul relationship is illustrated below.
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body." (1st Corinthians 6: 19)
To live in harmony with ourselves and one another we must first care for ourselves holistically in body, soul, and spirit. When your life is not in balance your body may show the signs by succumbing to disease or by experiencing a life crisis. This is a universal concept. Each one of us has a physical body that reacts to fear, stress, abandonment, loss, betrayal, anger, joy, excitement, and we all hope for love.
We are all matter and spirit. Our Creator God dwells in and reaches out to the world with love through us. All of our souls hunger for truth, justice, love, and forgiveness. With all the worlds economic greed and injustice we may feel there is no hope for our spirits and souls to make a difference in the world for peace and harmony. Yet, there is hope. Our spirits call us to healing within and healing outside ourselves. We are called to take steps towards wholeness and oneness; not to be destroyed by depression and hopelessness.
In the book, A Hidden Wholeness, Parker Palmer recommends that we slowdown, do more with less, and pay attention to life's rhythm. He says the soul wants to keep us connected to community for it understands that relationshipas are necessary for us to thrive. And the soul wants to give us life and to pass that gift along, "to become life-givers in a world that deals with too much death."
A new small group is being developed in our church community. It will have a theme of: Harmony in Body, Soul, and Spirit. We will be reading inspirational Christian readings that inspire us to promote our own wholeness and seek ways to help our precious world be made whole as God intended it to be in the beginning. Contact me through my email: calloway@pcmorristown.org if you are interested in joining our small group.
Creating and Sustaining Lord, thank you for giving us the hope for wholeness in body, soul, and spirit. Grant us all a spirit that joyfully celebrates your love. Unite us in Oneness as the global family of God who cherishes the gift of life on our precious earth. May your Peace that surpasses all understanding dwell in our hearts and souls from this day forward. Amen
(Illustration at top from http://www.faithandhealthconnection.org/the_connection/spirit-soul-and-body/)
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