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SPIRITUAL COMPANIONSHIP FOR OUR TIMES


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        spiritual directors, as well as some within the Sufi      fall short of our ideals.
        strand of Islam.  And numerous others who use this
        designation outside of the Abrahamic family.              In brief, we are constantly striving for spiritual
                                                                  depth and maturity, for those we companion, and
        Needless to say, all of them are highly valued and        for ourselves.
        esteemed members of the SDI constituency.
                                                                  And when we say we are spiritual companions
        Over the last three years, SDI has made significant       for these highly troubled times, we mean that we
        outreach efforts, in an attempt to broaden the in-        come in all sorts of packages and expressions, ages,
        vitation to our public square.  Many of these indi-       ethnicities, gender identities, orientations, and
        viduals (along with a good number in our original         outlooks.  And that we will walk alongside any of
        cohorts) prefer the term “spiritual companion” to         you who come to us, whatever burdens you may be
        describe the work that they do.  In terms of main-        bearing, and however you might manifest your own
        line religious traditions, they encompass Hindus          uniqueness.
        and Buddhists of many stripes, as well as growing
        numbers across many other faith traditions.               You have but to ask.


        But by far our fastest growing contingent are those
        who variously describe themselves as “spiritually         -Rev. Seifu Anil Singh-Molares
        fluid,” “spiritually independent,” “inter-spiritual” or
        “multi-spiritual.”  Rather than ground themselves
        in any one particular tradition or spiritual orien-
        tation, they glean essential teachings from across
        a range of sources.  As such, they fit no one profile,
        and are companions to a broad range of individuals,
        running the gamut from first time seekers and ex-      Listen
        plorers, to the highly experienced and mature, who
        are looking for additional points of views to add to
        their wheelhouses.                                     PUBLISHER: Spiritual Directors International
                                                               EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND EDITOR:
        Our members are also not limited to those who          Rev. Seifu Anil Singh-Molares, MTS
        originate from a squarely spiritual starting point.    PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR: Matt Whitney
        For instance, we have many psychologists, social       SUBMISSIONS: [email protected]
        workers, and health care providers, who all perform    ADVERTISING: www.sdiworld.org
        their tasks with a spiritual bent.  They describe
        themselves as spiritual companions as well.            Listen is published four times a year. The names Spiritual Directors
                                                               International , SDIWorld , and SDI  and its logo are trademarks of
                                                                                 TM
                                                                        TM
                                                                                         TM
                                                               Spiritual Directors International, Inc., all rights reserved. Opinions and
                                                               programs represented in this publication are of the authors and advertisers
        In these efforts, there are some constants: a genuine   and may not represent the opinions of Spiritual Directors International, the
        and authentic commitment to deep contemplative         Coordinating Council, or the editors.
        practice, however it may manifest; a dedication to
        attentive, mindful and respectful listening; a pro-    We  WELCOME  your  feedback  on  any
        found respect for the agency of those we compan-       aspect  of this  issue  of  LISTEN,  or  on  SDI
        ion, and for their ability to discern for themselves
        the spiritual paths that lie ahead; a deep-seated      as  a  whole.  Please  send  your  comments  to
        ethical compass and grounding; and a willingness                [email protected]
        to hold ourselves accountable, especially when we


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