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Spirit of the Rainbow has at its core the experience of oneness. Our shared humanity comes before any call upon our loyalty such as those of our country or religion. Translating that idea into action is a challenge we all face. This is the story of one of our contributors, Pliny, in taking up that challenge in working with refugees.
Throughout history there have been attempts to build the kingdom of heaven on earth. Some have been religious: in the mid-17th century Britain, radical groups like the Diggers and True Levellers sought to create an egalitarian paradise of “community in spirit and community in earthly treasury”. One of their leaders, Gerrard Winstanley, wrote “that everyone would share in the fruits of their labour and their love of Christ”.
After living at the homeless hostel for a while, I started looking for somewhere that might nurture me spiritually. One day I came across a centre run by a Christian minister that offered rented accommodation. From its description it seemed very spiritually open. I was hopeful.
I was 49 when I became homeless. I had been a college lecturer, I had a home, an income, everything you would expect from a middle-class professional. And then it all fell apart.
Recognising our shared humanity is a fundamental principle in our spiritual evolution. It offers a future in which we can all live and work together constructively and in peace. So the ending of apartheid in South Africa in the early 1990s was a major step forward not only for the country itself but for humanity as a whole
The Promised Land made its second major appearance in Scripture with the story of the Exodus when Moses led his people from slavery in Egypt. Crossing the desert, they faced many hardships as well as experiencing miracles
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Spirit of the Rainbow has its origins in an LGBTQ spiritual group, seeking to create a space for itself in a world whose religions were largely hostile to us.
Historically women have faced systematic discrimination from religious authorities, denying them opportunities to preach, conduct rituals and hold leadership positions. Women have responded in different ways.
In the year 1209, Pope Innocent III’s crusade against the “heretical” Cathars of southern France was launched. At the same time, the pope blessed Francis of Assisi’s proposal for a new religious order, to be guided by a “Rule”,
We start with a fundamental truth that we can too easily forget: our bodies come from particles of animal and plant life that once belonged to other plants or animals and so on backwards through time to the dawn of life on earth. Years from now bits of who we are today will form part of an infinite variety of living things. In essence the same material is simply being recycled through nature in different ways over time. So that on the most basic physical level we are one with our planet.
In our book Riverlution, where we explore the natural spiritual evolution of humanity, the section on womankind discusses the damage done by, "what may be called 'the war on women' – that is the widespread and systematic repression of women and all they stood for that has lasted for centuries". The age-old discrimination against women is a story sadly all too well known. Was it a war? In this article, we will be focusing on womankind’s search for a spiritual voice.
The image of the crucified Christ is central to traditional Christian thinking. It lies at the heart of the doctrine that Jesus saved humanity from sin by his supreme sacrifice. In the Christian Bible, the story of Jesus reaches its climax with his crucifixion and resurrection. So deeply embedded is this idea, that the Cross has become the symbol of Christianity.
As one of the key principles of Spirit of the Rainbow, trust in the process of our spiritual evolution acts as useful reminder for those who search for spiritual insight. Understanding this principle is one thing, however. Putting it into practice is another. Sometimes it is hard to place our faith in something that is not immediately evident. During challenging times we may even resist the notion of trust altogether. This is because the path ahead is obscured and we doubt we are moving in the right direction. Yet, as I am constantly learning, if we can find the grace to open ourselves even a little to the idea, we realise that support for our spiritual quest is right there.