Trinity in Dark Tones (Genesis 18) by Alek Rapoport, 1994
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, New College Berkeley spiritual directors have met with people in small, prayerful groups by Zoom. We’ve witnessed the stresses and the opportunities of this strange, isolated time; a time of great loss for many people, yet also a time of discovering novel ways of gathering together and orienting ourselves toward God.
Some of the groups have met for many years, most form afresh each fall, and every year we host a few groups just for university and seminary students, undergrads and grads. For the past few years and by student request, some of the university groups have been for People of Color, led by directors who are also not white. The groups have been lifelines during the pandemic for all those who have participated, including the spiritual directors.
As I serve as one of the spiritual directors and supervise the other directors, I get a special view of what the Holy Spirit is up to through this ministry. With permission, I share these reflections from some of the students who have experienced God’s grace during the pandemic through the community of spiritual direction. May their earnest faith bless you as it does me!
U.C.B. Senior
I had never been in a spiritual direction group before and did not even know what it was when I first joined. However, after a year of monthly meetings, I feel like being in this group was truly transformative for me. Through this group, I was able to be vulnerable in a safe, welcoming environment and share both the negative and positive aspects of my life. I enjoyed the structure of our sessions because the questions and observations allowed me to better understand other people’s sharing and made me think more critically about what I shared. As a freshman in college, I never could have imagined that my senior year would be disrupted by a global pandemic. This spiritual direction group allowed me to lament and bring to God my worries and frustrations while also helping me to see the beautiful things He has placed in my life. I am more attuned to how God is moving in my life and can more easily recognize it in the moment rather than in retrospect. As I transition to life after college, I have a better understanding of what I am looking for in a spiritual community because of this group.
U.C.B. Junior
Coming into the spiritual direction group, I was excited and confused about what the meetings would entail. Back at home I never had an opportunity to engage in a group like this, so I looked forward to trying something different. Throughout the following meetings, I learned more about my peers as well as how to seek God on a day-to-day basis. I talked about many personal parts of my life that I rarely share and would normally never think to connect to God. I think the structure of the meetings and the willingness of each attendee to be vulnerable provided the ideal space for these discussions. The meetings soon became a way for me to help stay rooted in God despite all the distractions and worries that normally occupied my thoughts during the year. Through these meetings, I grew spiritually and became more mindful of who I am. I was constantly encouraged by the stories and experiences of my peers, which inspired me to make changes in my own life. I'll always look fondly at my experience in the spiritual direction group, and I have no regrets about choosing to participate in this group.
U.C.B. Senior
The spiritual direction group was a crucial part of my mental and spiritual health this year. I looked forward to it each month. It forced me to think about what God was doing in my life, especially in the things that brought me joy or confusion. It made me a better noticer. It was also helpful and good to do this in a small group where each member could share, and we could all appreciate each other's consistency and growth. This was especially nice because I worked with my fellow group members on leadership in my campus fellowship, so I appreciated knowing how they were doing outside of that space. Through the group, I discovered different ways to look at problems and the ways God speaks to us, like seeing life and problems as a spiral and that God speaks to us in the same ways in all areas of our life.
This year the groups have all begun again, most of them by Zoom, many of them with new people participating, and all of the directees—students and non-students—holding hope for experiencing God’s grace as they open their hearts and minds to God in the company of one another. I’m so grateful to the excellent spiritual directors who hold the space for prayerful reflection and conversation.
We at New College Berkeley are also deeply grateful to all of you who support this ministry, and, especially for their support of this ministry to students, we thank the Lilly Endowment, Inc., the Lip-Bu Tan and Ysa Loo Family Trust, and the Lowell Berry Foundation.
Susan S. Phillips (Ph.D.), sociologist and spiritual director, is Executive Director and Professor at New College Berkeley, and her books include Candlelight: Illuminating the Art of Spiritual Direction.