The Nearness

What if silence could awaken us to our community? In this episode, we’re joined by ⁠Phileena Nikole [http://phileena.com] to help us explore the practice of silence. Phileena shares why we fear silence, why sitting in it is easier with others and how we can weave silence into our everyday. For nearly 20 years, Phileena has served in more than 70 countries building community among survivors of human trafficking, child soldiers and war brides. Today she works as a spiritual director, helping people lead more fulfilling lives. Phileena is the author of the book ⁠Mindful Silence⁠ [https://gravitycenter.com/mindfulsilence/]. To learn more about Phileena’s contemplative spirituality practice, we invite you to watch this [https://www.theworkofthepeople.com/film-series/mindful-silence] video series. You can find more information on The Nearness and our 6-week spirituality journeys at thenearness.coop [http://www.thenearness.coop]. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @thenearnesscoop. Please get in touch if you have any questions by emailing us at hello@thenearness.coop. We’re always glad to hear from you.

What different shapes can a prayer take? In this episode, Melissa Bartholomew shares how prayer anchors her life and work, facilitating racial justice and healing. She describes the significance of prayer partnerships, her divine letter writing practice, and the role of prayer in prisons. Dr. Melissa Bartholomew [https://hds.harvard.edu/people/melissa-bartholomew] is a racial justice and healing practitioner. Her research interests include the impact of racism, incarceration, and other systems of oppression on the mental health of African Africans, and the role of spirituality in their resilience. She is the Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Harvard Divinity School. You can find more information on The Nearness and our 6-week spirituality journeys at thenearness.coop [https://www.thenearness.coop/] Please get in touch if you have any questions by emailing us at hello@thenearness.coop [hello@thenearness.coop]. We’re always glad to hear from you.

What if God was not a patriarchal force, but instead something more mysterious, generative, and beautiful? In this episode, Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie uncovers the divine feminine hidden within Judaism’s history and introduces the Sabbath Queen as central to his own Jewish practice. Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie [https://amichai.me/] is a Jewish educator, writer, performance artist, and theologian. He is the founder of Lab/Shul NYC [https://www.labshul.org/] – a God-optional and everybody-friendly community for sacred Jewish gatherings – and the creator of Below the Bible Belt [https://amichailaulavie.substack.com/] – a project that offers a queer reading the Hebrew Bible. This conversation touches on family traditions, queer expression, and will make you want to pick flowers for your Sabbath table. Please get in touch if you have any questions by emailing us at hello@thenearness.coop [hello@thenearness.coop]. We’re always glad to hear from you.

What are the different ways people have visualized the divine throughout history? When are images helpful and when do they get in the way? In this episode, Dr Michael Motia shares the visualization practices developed by Evagrius of Pontus [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evagrius_Ponticus], Teresa of Avila [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_of_%C3%81vila] and Ignatius of Loyola [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola] - three spiritual teachers full of wisdom and insight. From the color of sapphire blue to a bee buzzing through a diamond castle, the divine seems to take on many shapes. Dr Michael Motia a Lecturer in Religion at the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Mike earned his PhD at Harvard University and studies late antiquity, mysticism, Christianity and gender, sexuality, religion and literature. He is the author of Imitations of Infinity: Gregory of Nyssa and the Transformation of Mimesis [https://www.amazon.com/Imitations-Infinity-Transformation-Divinations-Rereading/dp/0812253132]. Get in touch if you have any questions by emailing us at hello@thenearness.coop [hello@thenearness.coop]. We’re always pleased to hear from you.

In this episode, Casper interviews Elizabeth Oldfield - one of our Nearness advisors and friends - to explore what spiritual growth is, how it works, and how it relates to our journey so far. Liz discusses trees, roads and compasses as metaphors for the spiritual journey, and mentions this wonderful poem by Jack Gilbert [https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48132/failing-and-flying]. We talk about the difference between endings and failures, and Liz offers a few closing words to mark the conclusion of this first Nearness journey. As ever, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to hello@thenearness.coop. We’ll be glad to hear from you!