What are your Spiritual Needs?

This spring I went to an outstanding workshop on "Spirituality and Illness" given by Rev. Tracy Mehr-Muska, M.Div, BCC She has worked in hospice and was sharing her understanding at a gathering of local clergy.

The spiritual needs of the dying:
Companionship
Acceptance/validation
Forgiveness
Love/intimacy
Security
Creativity
Family/friends
Freedom from pressure
Independence
Faith
Achievement
Hope
Avoidance of pain
Activity
Understanding
Being at peace with God
Feeling that one's life is complete
Feeling that one's life has meaning
Being able to help others

I had to ask mysself, "What are my spiritual needs?" and then, "What are the spirituals need of the young people we serve at HopeWorks?" Many of our needs are the same as those who are facing death. Where do young people talk about their spiritual needs? I suspect many do not even know that they have spiritual needs.

Those of us who know about spiritual yearnings need to talk about it, to give young people, all people in our lives the ideas, the language to talk about their own needs of the spirit.

With such a simple act we might start a revolution.