By David Spangler
Editor's Note: This essay was originally published in 2008. A subscriber recently inquired about it, and David felt the message (with a few minor updates) was still relevant today. We recognize that this blog post in its entirety is particularly focused on the United States and we hope that our non-US readers will appreciate David's wisdom given challenging circumstances on this side of the world.
The Soul of America
The Soul of America has all the capacities and performs all the functions of any other country’s soul, as I discussed above. But what is the spiritual destiny which it embodies and empowers? What are the gifts that the United States has to offer humanity and the world? What are its talents?
A place to start is with the “self-evident” truths presented by the Declaration of Independence: “…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These are certainly qualities which the Soul of America has a destiny to develop and offer: Equality amongst all people; liberty and freedom; the sanctity of a person’s life with all its unique potentials; the capacity of all individuals to seek their highest good and to possess happiness in their lives, particularly the happiness that comes with the opportunity to unfold their potentials and to accomplish good in their lives.
To these four qualities, I might add a generosity of spirit, a capacity for innovation, invention and discovery, and an attitude of accomplishment, that whatever needs to be done, can be done. Finally, I would add a spirit of hospitality and community.
These are all human qualities and potentialities that the United States, which is itself an invented nation and an immigrant nation, seeks to develop within itself and to offer to the world. You may think of others that are part of the destiny—the talents—of this country. Feel free to make your own list.
Partnering with the Soul of America
The simplest way to partner with the Soul of America is to share its tasks and to express the qualities and virtues that represent its talents and gifts to the world. You might ask yourself, “What do I do to express the best qualities of being an American in my everyday life? How do I express and promote equality, liberty, generosity, openness to the new, and a spirit of possibility? How do I enhance the lives of others and provide opportunities that support their pursuit of happiness and the fulfillment of their own potentials? How do I nourish the common good in my country and foster cooperation instead of conflict? In the realm of civic discourse, how do I promote civility to ensure good, clear, and truthful communication? Do I enrich in some way the emotional and mental life and character of my country, if only in my own sphere of influence? Am I hospitable to those who are different than I and open to the gifts their differences may bring? Do I diminish or increase the use of violence—whether emotional, mental, or physical—as a means of problem-solving? In the midst of extremes, do I find the creative and empowering middle, the Radical Middle, where synthesis and co-creativity may flourish? Do I diminish fear and its crippling effects in my community?”
Bringing a loving heart, an open mind, and a will-to-good in any or all of these matters is an example of partnering with the Soul of America.
Connecting to the Soul of America
If you accept that there is a Soul of America as a genuine protective and nourishing presence and not simply as a metaphor or a projection, how might you contact and connect with this being? How might you invite its energy into your life as a citizen for your blessing and the blessing of those around you?
There are different ways this might be done, and ultimately you need to find a way that is right for you. For instance, you can invite the Soul of America, its qualities and energies, into your life through a prayerful and open-hearted invitation. Your commitment to live out the best and highest of the qualities and virtues this being represents is another way. You can imagine the Soul of America as a person, like Uncle Sam, who comes to you so you can have a conversation in your mind and heart with him. Also, partnering in the tasks of this being, as I mentioned above, is a means of connection.
In essence, contact and connection is through resonance, through like speaking to like. If you embody in yourself the kind of energy and qualities you imagine the Soul of America possessing, then you are connected. These qualities are its “address,” its “phone number;” you go to that address or you dial that number by actively expressing these qualities. To contact the Soul of America, be the Soul of America in your own unique way.
A Modest Exercise
Here is a modest exercise you can do to attune to the Soul of America in your own life. Here you are going to use your imagination to develop a felt sense of what America is for you. You are in effect recreating the spirit of America within yourself in your own individual way. This provides a resonant connection with the Soul of our country.
To begin, find a time and place when and where you can be uninterrupted. Take a moment just to relax and enter into a calming, refreshing inner silence.
You are going to work with four images: your American Self, the Land of America, Mythic America, and the Destiny of America. You may wish to record in some manner any ideas, images, insights, thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations that come to you as a result of reflecting on each image.
First, reflect on what it feels like for you to be an American. Who or what is your American Self? When you think of yourself as an American, what comes to your mind? What qualities in you do you identify as being American? (They may not be exclusively American; if a quality is generosity, for example, you can also see this as a human quality—and certainly citizens of other countries can be generous as well. But if you feel that part of being an American is to be generous, then claim it not only as a personal quality or a human quality but as an American quality, part of your Americanness.) Think of things you do that represent your Americanness to you. How does the spirit of America take concrete shape in your life? What is your felt sense of being an American?
Second, reflect on the land and geography of America. How does it influence or affect you? The land of America is spacious, rich, beautiful, and diverse. It had a profound impact on the Native Americans, the colonists, the pioneers, the settlers, and the explorers. Indeed, much of the American character has been shaped by our country’s geography and its vast openness and potential. How has it shaped you? Think of all the different aspects of our country: mountains, prairies, swamplands, deserts, forests, rivers, the Great Lakes, and so on. How do these images of the land make you feel? What kind of energy do they inspire in you?
Third, reflect on the stories and myths of America, the legends, and the persons, like Washington and Lincoln, who live large in our history. Mythic America, the inner landscape of our country, is a powerful force in our lives. Here are the stories we tell about who we are, the images we draw upon for inspiration, and the personalities we use for role models. What myths about America live for you? What is your relationship to mythic America? How do you draw upon its energy? What myths or stories do you tell about yourself as an American? Not all myths are useful or healthy, and myths that may have served our ancestors may not serve us now, like the myths that underlay and justified the practice of slavery. What American myths do you feel no longer serve the Soul of America or even obstruct its work? What myths that you hold help the Soul of America?
Fourth, reflect on the Vision of America, its sense of destiny. What does America have to offer the world? What are its gifts and talents? What vision inspired the men and women who created this country? What do you think are the spiritual and planetary tasks of our nation? How might it serve humanity? How does this vision live in you and influence your own life and actions? What is your felt sense of the Vision of America?
Finally, stand up. Feel each of these four qualities of your Americanness, the energy of the Land of America, the quality of Mythic America in your life, and the Vision of America as if they were four presences surrounding you. Each of them embodies one aspect of the Soul of America. Imagine them all stepping into you, blending, melding, becoming one, becoming the Soul of America within you. What is that like? What felt sense arises in you as you imagine this happening? Who are you standing in oneness with the Soul of America? As this felt sense emerges for you, you will find your own feeling of connection with the Soul of America. May it be a blessing and a partner in your life as a citizen, both inner and outer, of this great country.