by Robin Goff, reprinted from Contact Magazine, Dec-Jan 2008
Over the past five years, Spiritual Trailblazers have been creating a new style of doing “missionary” work in the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa. Lovelight is The Light Center’s volunteer outreach project, which was created to respond to the needs of the millions of children who are orphaned and vulnerable due to the prolonged pandemic. Volunteers carry their unique gifts to share with the children and the grandmothers who are raising them, offering trainings in gardening, handcrafts, and healing touch.
Even more than what we do, we show up as learners open to all we can absorb about the complex culture of South Africa and the ramifications of a devastating pandemic. It is challenging to witness the stories of beautiful children experiencing things that no child should ever have to endure. “It is overwhelming to share intimately with grandmothers who, with children from Baphumelele Children’s Home, have buried their own children and carry on to provide for their grandchildren. It requires that we be willing to look at the things that are hardest to see. It is transformative work that impacts our lives deeply.
The stories of Africa provide a wake-up call for all of us. They prompt us to respond, to look at our own lives, and discover how we can serve as clear channels for the Light to work in the world. When we set aside any agendas to rescue, fix, or save, that leaves us with a massive learning curve. It is time for all of us to apply spiritual principles to address the challenges facing our human family. It is a conscious practice of holding a healing presence of peace and wholeness right in the midst of overwhelming loss. That demands a dedication to self-care and a willingness to keep our hearts open to feel it all.
Looking back at the American culture from the other side of the world provides a heightened awareness and inspires a deep commitment to create change. What if each of us would simplify our lives just a little so that we have more to contribute to others? Knowing there are 15.3 million children orphaned in Sub-Saharan Africa is enough to call us to respond. Let’s spend less on gifts, food, and drink, and turn those funds toward making a difference in the world. Whatever we do is enough!
Robin Goff, RN, BSN, MAV, LUT is the spiritual leader of The Light Center, which serves as a healing sanctuary in the woods of Kansas offering retreats and workshops.
