Twelve years ago, when I reached my 70th winter, I felt moved to share my best understanding of our soul, the sacred and eternal reality of who we truly are.
These understandings did not come to me all at once. They came through teachings I received, prayer and reflection, the spiritual tests and challenges of my own life, and listening to those who walked before us.
They came through contemplating the Great Mystery of our journey: where we come from, why we are here, and where we go when our physical life on Mother Earth is completed.
As Chief Seattle reminded us: “There is no death, only a change of worlds.”
This teaching has always touched me deeply. Death is not the end of who we are. It is a passage from one world into another. Our physical body returns to Mother Earth, but our soul continues its eternal journey.
“A love that anyone may have had for anyone will not be forgotten in the spiritual world, nor will we forget our life in this physical world.”
The love we have carried for one another does not disappear. The bonds created through genuine love belong to the soul, and therefore they are not limited by physical separation, distance, or death.
“In the spiritual world, we will recognize one another. We will seek union—a spiritual union.”
We will remember. We will recognize those whom we have loved. We will continue seeking union- not merely transitory physical union, but a spiritual union reaching beyond the boundaries of time and space.
“Our soul’s relationship with our body is like the connection between a lamp and a mirror. If the mirror is polished and perfected, the lamp’s light appears, but if the mirror is broken or covered with dust, the light remains concealed.”
Our physical body is like the mirror, and the soul is like the light. When the mirror is polished and clear, it reflects the lamp’s radiance. When the mirror is covered with dust, damaged, or broken, the light may be concealed—but the light itself is not destroyed. The light continues to shine.
“Our rational soul—the human spirit—does not descend into our bodies or exist through our physical bodies. It is just the opposite. Our soul is the substance and foundation upon which our body depends for existence.”
The soul is not simply contained inside the body as though it were a physical object. Our soul does not depend upon our body for its existence. Rather, the soul is the spiritual foundation upon which our human existence depends.
“The soul has no gender, race, ethnicity, or class. This reality makes all forms of prejudice, whatever they may be, intolerable and unacceptable. The soul is not divided. It is a reflection of the Oneness of our Creator.”
At the level of the soul, none of these outward distinctions can divide or separate us. Every human soul is sacred. Every soul comes from the same Creator. Each soul is unique, yet each reflects the Oneness of our Creator and the oneness of the human family. When we truly understand this spiritual reality, prejudice becomes impossible to justify.
“Our soul is endowed with its unique individuality from the beginning of our existence in this physical world. Our soul does not acquire it because of our body.”
We do not receive our true identity from our physical body. From the beginning of our earthly existence, each soul is endowed with its own sacred individuality. Our true identity is spiritual.
“In this physical world, our soul’s individuality and identity are strengthened through spiritual tests and challenges.”
The difficulties we face are not without meaning. Through our choices, our sacrifices, our acts of courage, the love we give, and the service we offer, the qualities of our soul are strengthened and refined. The spiritual tests and challenges of this life help prepare us for our continuing journey.
“Our soul is independent of and the very source of our body’s existence. If our body is destroyed, our soul and spirit remain unharmed.”
Our bodies are temporary, but the soul is not destroyed when the body can no longer carry it through this world. The soul continues. Its essential reality remains whole and unharmed.
“Our soul, our human spirit, is independent of our physical body. Our soul is free and sanctified beyond this physical plane of time and space.”
The limitations of the material world do not confine the soul. It belongs to a spiritual reality beyond the physical boundaries that presently surround us. It is free and sacred beyond our ordinary understanding of time and space.
“All the powers that distinguish us as human beings—reason, memory, abstract thought, creativity, inventiveness, and willpower—are all properties of our soul, not the body.”
Our physical body is the sacred instrument through which these powers are expressed during our time here on Mother Earth, but their true source is spiritual. Our capacity to know, remember, imagine, create, choose, love, and serve arises from the soul.
Drawing upon all these teachings, I felt deeply inspired to write the lyrics to the song you are about to hear. I also did my very best to curate the music so that the sound, the words, and the spirit of the song might come together as one.
I offer this song with humility. From the deepest place in my heart, I can say that it reflects the best understanding I presently have of the journey of the soul. I do not offer it as the final word, because no human being can contain the whole of an infinite spiritual reality.
The very word eternity means forever. It means infinite and without end. Therefore, spiritual truths carry infinite meanings. No matter how much we understand, there will always be more to discover, more to learn, and deeper realities into which we may grow.
I remain open—always open—to further understanding and to what others have received along their own spiritual journeys. I believe it is vitally important that we open our hearts and listen to one another with respect. Yet how can we understand where another person is on their journey unless each of us is willing to share honestly where we presently stand?
That is why I am sharing these teachings and this song. I am not presenting them to close a conversation, but to open one. I offer them so that, as we listen to the music, we may also reflect on these principles: who we truly are, why we are here, how we are related, and what may await us when we pass from this world into the next.
This offering comes from my heart. I invite you to listen with your mind, but more importantly, with your heart and soul.
This is The Sacred Journey of Our Soul