We are all travelers on a spiritual caravan. We bind ourselves together with our fellow pilgrims, searching for who and what we are. Most of the time we inch forward, oblivious to all the other voyagers who ride with us. But occasionally something stirs us out of the preoccupation we have of self. At those times, we look up for a moment and notice the other explorers who have joined us on this trip, and that is the precise time when the universe whispers to us: "Pay attention. Those other adventurers with you are not an accident. They have volumes to tell you about your own soul. Pay attention."

The spirituality of relationships. It is a phrase that fuses together two of the most vital elements of the quest we all find ourselves on. First, there is that word spirituality. The spiritual journey grabs most of us. We want to sift through the morass of competing ideas, glean our relationship with All That Is, and discover our sacred purpose.

That brings us directly to that second word: relationships. Let’s face it—99% of us make the journey with other people: parents, siblings, co-workers, friends, and spouses; and just as importantly enemies; people who have fired us; ex-spouses; those who have hurt us; those who have walked away. Whether we consider the relationship to be healthy or toxic, powerful relationships touch the fabric of our spirit. It makes sense to plumb their depths and see what they have to offer up to us.

The universe right at this very moment is murmuring softly to you: "Pay attention. Each person has something to teach you. Each encounter can take you more deeply into your soul. Pay attention."

Dennis Ashley is going to help us take a look at the spirituality of relationships. In particular, he is going to focus on the spirituality of romantic relationships. That makes sense. As important as the other key relationships are in our lives, romance shakes us and won’t let go. It brings people together and splits them apart. It is a dance of two souls that the books tell us should look like a Viennese Waltz. It doesn’t. Instead the dance of our lives is a tango, hidden inside a New Orleans masquerade ball, tucked away in the enigma of The Dance of the Seven Veils. And every dance step, every mask that falls, every veil that slips away has the potential of telling us why we are here. We just need to know how to look. So during the session, Dennis will give us a new framework to understand the spirituality of romantic relationships. It will be thought-provoking and powerful.

See you at the talk. Practice up on your tango.

Dennis is director of pastoral care at Unity, teaches workshops, involved with Civic theater, directs plays at Unity, and is in the process of becoming a Unity minister.

E-mail dashley@unityspokane.org

509-270-9376