Awareness

THURS., AUG. 27, 1981, 5:33 AM
FARM, STUDY

You have heard and seen this very fundamental theme, o son. It is an aspect of the spiritual dimension to health (or of human/spiritual interaction) that is very fundamental, but one that you have been forgetting, of late. So let Me give you some re-freshing thoughts in the dark of the morning.

Being aware is basic spiritual behavior. Awareness of other individual humans and their needs can be mentioned first. Spirit is developed as you practice being aware… taking the time and directing the attention toward another, seeing him or her as a spiritual being. There is so much that you don’t notice about persons as you observe them just socially. Be willing to “go below the surface” and be aware of the spirit that is in each person, some quite well developed.

Then there is often spirit in a group, but it is not evident unless you are practicing awareness. It is like an attunement. You feel no spirit until your spirit tunes into that of the group, and then it is often most obvious. Interestingly, the spirit generated by a group may not be noticed or appreciated by some who are an integral part of that group. Such a person might say, and honestly, “There’s no spirit in this class… or group”. But others, who are more aware, can discern spirit… may even be able to describe it.

So then you are entitled to ask the reality question: “Is it there or is it not?” Mostly yes. That is, if a group has a developed spirit, as a reality, this will be experienced most fully by individuals of developed spirit, those part of and those not part of the group. And some may not be aware of this spirit, which is a reality. Yet the very presence of those with developed spirits changes the observation situation. Such ones are aware of spirit that is not evident to others, which may be, in some small measure, a projection from self. That is, they are aware of spirit, but it may be from self and a few individuals rather than from a total group.

Certain institutions can be expected to have a spirit, which goes beyond that of the group, but is there as a result of the spirits of those now gone to other realms… a “history” of spirit, so to speak. The Church is obviously such an institution. Church groups will show forth varying amounts of spirit, but the Church itself is an institution of spirit, beyond that of individuals or particular church groups. Athletic teams, the Marine Corps, political parties… these are examples of other institutions in which spirit inheres. Awareness is necessary, however, before this spirit is functional.