The Spiritual Journey

by Rev. Marty Bacher Contributing Writer

The courage to grow spiritually includes the courage to face the unknown. Our greater good often lies outside of what is currently known, and therefore what is comfortable. The change we seek — whether it is to create greater prosperity, attract a new relationship or to learn a new skill — requires us to move into the realm of discomfort and the unknown. However, it seems our brains are hardwired to keep us safe and to avoid discomfort. It’s ironic that we seek change, yet we also inherently resist it.

Faith is not about having all the answers. Instead, authentic faith allows us to enter more deeply into the questions. There is a part of us that is deeply connected with the Divine, even if we don’t yet recognize it. This is called the Spiritual Self.

The egoistic self sees itself as a human being in search of a spiritual experience, whereas the Spiritual Self sees Itself as a spiritual being having a human experience. The egoistic self sees itself as a noun — a person, place or thing.

It identifies itself with the physical realm: the body, the roles we play, the positions we hold, the wealth we have or don’t have.

Plato described the journey of the soul. He said that before entering the body the soul knows all things. But just before it enters an earthly existence, the body is dipped in the River of Forgetfulness. This myth reminds us of the mystery inherent in the spiritual journey. Our lives are about remembering what we already know at some deep spiritual level. The great spiritual teachers throughout the ages have come to remind us of who and what we truly are.

Spiritual Reflections

Whereas the egoistic self sees itself as a noun, the Spiritual Self sees itself as a verb, as an extension of being, of loving and of expressing. When Moses encounters the Divine and asks, “Who shall I say sent me?” God replies, “I am that I am,” which more properly translated, means I am that which causes all things to be.

The Spiritual Self identifying with the eternal and radiant Source, recognizes the transitory nature of things. In the Bhagavad Gita it is written: “This self is never born nor does it ever perish; nor having come into this existence will it again cease to be. It is birthless, eternal, changeless, ever-same, unaffected by the usual processes associated with time. It is not slain when the body is killed.”

We free ourselves from mental bondage when we learn to identify more and more with the Spiritual Self. Three simple affirmations help us to remain in a spiritual consciousness and navigate the journey: 1. Whatever I am grateful for, I will increase. Gratitude recognizes the blessings the Divine has brought into our lives and attracts greater blessings. 2. Whatever I am responsible for, I can change.

Responsibility allows us to recognize our participation in whatever is happening in our lives and what we did to create, promote or allow it. 3. Whatever I am compassionate toward, I can heal.

Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” As we extend compassion, we help elevate and shift awareness to wholeness and healing.

Gandhi taught us that “we must widen the circle of our love until it embraces the whole village; the village in turn must take into its fold the district; the district the province, and so on till the scope of our love encompasses the whole world.”

Let us move forward together on the spiritual journey with gratitude, responsibility and compassion. : :

Rev. Marty Bacher is a speaker, consultant and ordained New Thought minister. He has served as openly gay spiritual leader for over 30 years.

Couch Talks at Dudley’s Place

Getting a diagnosis of HIV, living with HIV, or being part of someone else’s journey are all very difficult waters to navigate. The news and the related fallout can be devastating to many. That is why, for many reasons, having a solid circle of support can be just as instrumental in helping someone battle this disease as is the medication. At Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place, we understand this need. The clinical needs of every patient are handled at Rosedale with the upmost care and concern of qualified and compassionate staff in the area. They always go the extra mile to make a new client or a client that has been seeing us since the day we opened feel like part of a family. The patient centered care model is something that both Rosedale and Dudley’s Place work hard to perfect every day so that your experience as a patient is focused on you.

Dudley’s Place offers “Couch Talks” every other week on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm at their offices. Couch Talks are a form of a support group, but not like all the others. When we launched the program prior to COVID, we talked with a variety of clients and community members to hear from them what they would want a group to look like. Many said they simply wanted a chance to talk, share and connect. So, that is what we are doing. The group is lead and facilitated by staff of Dudley’s Place that are also HIV positive. Currently the groups are limited to only HIV positive individuals in order to protect their anonymity and to create a safe space for sharing. Aside from sharing stories and experiences, the groups help to connect people with others in similar situations. Dale Pierce, Executive Director has said, “the great thing that has come out of these groups are the connections being made. The relationships are blossoming from a room of strangers into a family of sorts that supports, listens and assists each other inside and outside the confines of the setting.” Members are saying that it has opened them up to new experiences and perspectives. The traditional meeting settings are helpful and needed, but we are also instituting some other options to make it a more social experience. Plans are in the works for a picnic this summer, painting classes, and maybe even a trip to Carowinds, along with a Thanksgiving potluck and holiday party.

Many factors and feelings can come into play with a diagnosis. Feeling like fear, anxiety, isolation, depression, sadness, anger, even a fear of the future. One client, an African American heterosexual woman that attends Couch Talks and has been positive for almost two decades, says the group saved her. “Especially during the pandemic, I retreated even further into myself and self-isolated more than ever. Having HIV can be scary, it made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of being around people, that I was somehow less than others. The Couch Talks at Dudley’s Place changed all that. I have a whole new support system of friends I consider family.”

If you would like to know more about Dudley’s Place, Rosedale Health and Wellness, and Couch Talks; visit our websites at Dudleysplace.org and Myrosedalehealth.com. You can also follow both organizations on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.