I have been participating in a Circle of Trust since mid-August through a group at First Presbyterian Church in Bend.

Circles of Trust is grounded in the Quaker philosophy:
1) all we need is within us,
2) we can access wisdom from within us,
3) this access of wisdom is soul work.

It uses the soul metaphor of “geography of grace” – utilizing places to access soul wisdom with grace. This quote by Josephine Hart eloquently states this: “There is an eternal landscape, a geography of the Soul; we search for its outlines all our lives.” This circle is a safe place to ask honest questions of yourself and others to allow deeper access and understanding. It encourages us to learn from silence, speak our truth as well as respect other people’s truth, be present, when the going gets rough to turn to wonder, and attend to our own inner teacher.

One of the poems shared with us, touched me deeply:

When Someone Deeply Listens to You

When someone deeply listens to you
it is like holding out a dented cup you have had since childhood
and watching it fill up with cold fresh water.

When it balances on the to of the rim
you are understood.

When it overflows and touches your skin
you are loved.

When someone deeply listens to you
the room where you stay starts a new life
and the place where you wrote your first poem
begins to blow in your mind’s eye.
It’s as if gold has been discovered.

When someone deeply listens to you
your bare feet are on the earth
and the beloved land that seemed distant
is now at home within you.

-John Fox

Deeply listening to each other is a priceless gift to share with another.  It is a chance to glimpse someone’s soul.  When is the last time you have listened deeply to another or had someone share this gift with you?