Revival of the Heart: Spiritual Direction in Social Justice

Dr. Martin Luther King said, “I think that we've got to see that a riot is the language of the unheard. And, what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the economic plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years.”

The language of the unheard is sonorous lamenting the reality of the marginalized. What have we failed to hear? Does the economic, social emotional, and political landscape have a place in spiritual direction and formation? Is soul care a part of fighting the good fight? Can the balm in Gilead serve as peace, revival, and reconciliation in a chaotic world?

Social Justice is the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and revival of the heart. The next revival in your life and the world will be birthed through Spiritual Direction. It's a special sense, a knowing of God in every moment, every life. It's the flourishing of all. And it begins with listening.

Listening to God, our spirit, and each other.

"Listening is a healing salve in the social justice space." – Rev. Addie Caldwell Sanders

Many of us have not seen the love of God in a profound way that we can pour out to others. We have to listen to God's still, small voice. We have to know God to lead for God. And we know God through our commitment through spiritual disciplines, formation, and soul care. We must take on this sacred journey by centering down and shifting the lead of life to God.

"Sacred activism is a way of responding from deep within, making a conscious decision to maintain a focus on the inner workings even in the midst of untenable and inhuman circumstances." – Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman

Find a space to decode and discover the impact of your past, present, and future identity. Then, provide yourself time to crosswalk those experiences as you intersected paths with others. Pause and Reflect: How active are you in listening to the breath of life? Are we alert to the life-shaping effect of our own contributions to the production of our own lives and others?

"Becoming all that God desires me (you) to be will mean more sacrifice on my part than on the part of others... It’s going to transform not only the people doing it, but those who are receiving it. We are being transformed to transform others. We are doing this to transform people. We are being transformed to transform others." - Maisie Sparks

You’re kingdom subjects, now live like it. Live out your God created identity. You are a loving conduit for the world. You have a purpose. We don’t have to wait on God to do something good. God is waiting on us.