SPIRITUAL DIRECTION — free as the sky

As we walk the streets of Singapore, my body is in shock, having shifted from the tundra to the tropics. My eyes are feasting on perennial lush greens, exotic flowers, and plants everywhere. Most notably, my toes are grateful for their freedom. I told someone just yesterday that my first time in Singapore was back in 1986. That person promptly said to me that it was well before he was born. Since 1986, I have probably visited Singapore more than thirty times, easily. So, Singapore and I go back a long way, and I feel a certain bond with Singapore as if it were a close friend. Building on this sense of coming full circle, my “mission” has shifted to helping and companioning people to discover the God-given gifts that they are, so they can live out their fullest potential as intended by God’s original and enduring design.

A great Jesuit philosopher and teacher, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, once said, “My self is given to me far more than it is formed by me.” He also wrote elsewhere, “Above all, trust in the slow work of God.” Discovering the given self requires hard and intentional work on our part and the slow work of God. Peeling away the layers of false or carefully “formed” self is the hard and courageous work and is met by the gracious, patient, and slow work of God.

My spiritual direction training is coming to an end, and I see the light at the end of the tunnel. With one more module to go, I see the finish line. From Malaysia to the US and to Korea, the school was one constant discipline over the span of about fifteen months. The finish line will be the Closing Residency in Baguio City, Philippines, during the second week of April. As I look ahead, I want to offer spiritual direction to people who may desire the hard and slow work. With a fair amount of confidence in the spiritual direction tradition to which I belong, I am shamelessly promoting my individual spiritual direction ministry in my blog space.

The word “direction” is a misnomer because there is no directing in spiritual direction. It is more of companionship, as we simply offer a safe, hospitable space for people to discover their own answers to their questions and ultimately their own God-given selves. We do this by contemplative listening and evocative responding. If there is directing, it is a more gentle, tentative invitation as opposed to direct advising. Spiritual direction is neither about problem-solving nor acquiring skills but discerning the ever-present Presence of Christ in daily life.

If you know someone who might benefit from such a space, please let me know. I understand that spiritual direction isn't for everyone. I have no preference regarding the potential directees’ religious or spiritual backgrounds. I might be more sympathetic to those with a missions background, but since it’s not about me or my background, it really does not matter. I am eager to place myself beyond my familiar religious tradition and learn. Because dual relationships are discouraged, having a spiritual director who only plays one role in the directee’s life is ideal. Once my training is complete, I plan to take on a few more directees starting in May or June.

The posture and philosophy behind spiritual direction are an essential part of how my wife and I want to live our life forward. I am grateful and excited to be at a place in my journey where I can offer this space to those who desire.