The Spirit of Money

THE SPIRIT OF INTIMACY, by Sobonfu Some’, whose name means “keeper of ritual,” was born and raised in Burkina Faso.  She was a member of the Dagara tribe of West Africa.  The following is a short excerpt from her book in regards to money.  After all, “tis the season!”

Many factors contribute to the frequency of divorce in the West – money, job conflicts, infidelity, anonymity, isolation.   These result from a lack of spirit’s blessing and of community support.  In the village, these are not issues.

You have to go back to the fact that everything in the village, including money, is spirit-based.  It is only when money is taken out of its spiritual context that it becomes this huge giant that we have to struggle with.  Money was originally intended for spiritual usage.  It was taken to shrines and placed there as an offering.  It wasn’t used as a source of power. 

It’s when we start to disconnect money from its original meaning that we disconnect it from spirit.  Then we start to use it as a source of power.  Just like intimacy.  When we disconnect it from its spiritual base, we cut off it roots, and it becomes this vague thing just floating around without any kind of focus.

In absence of spirit, money becomes connected to “mine” and “I” and it’s mine, it’s not yours.  It does not belong to the community and does not have anything to do with spirit.

People make money into a personal thing.  It becomes all negative power and no spirit, giving it so much more energy than what it has in reality.  In this case it can only become an obstacle that divides people.

In a place where spirit has been forgotten, a true sense of identity is likely to be missing.  And since we have to have an identity beyond our social security number, people base their identity on their work.  Many people cannot separate their identity from what they do in their professional life.

But when you have a true sense of identity, you don’t feel insecure about sharing what you have.  And you will never find yourself fighting over the demands of a job.  – Sobonfu Some (Author of “The Spirit of Intimacy”)

Love, Abundance & Gratitude

It is said that when we fall in love, we fall in love with the world as well.  We’re floating on a cloud and nothing matters more than that happiness high.  When our hearts overflow, with all that love, all most nothing can bring us down.  Even so, if some misfortune was to occur, we find comfort in our new found love. 

But you say, after the years begin to add up, love fades. 

I say to you, that love only seems to fade when we quit thanking the Creator for that love.  Nothing appreciates without gratitude.

Now don’t get me wrong, in the physical world, the word appreciate often refers to an increase in value, and gratitude is nothing more than money.  But in the spiritual world, gratitude is appreciation; an appreciation for happiness, love, and companionship.  Notice money isn’t mentioned in this quest for love and acceptance. 

Money is nothing more than a creation of man; a façade traded for survival.  There is nothing spiritual about it, and if we were truly living as God/Love intended, then there would be no use for money. The spiritual path intended is one where we rely on each others strengths for survival.  Before money was ever invented, we relied on our skills and traded items of necessity. 

The word abundance is often related to financial gain; it means excess.  I try hard to understand this concept of wanting more, but to want more is to say I am unhappy with what I have.  Where’s the gratitude?

Gratitude is not wanting more, it’s being happy with what we have.  Like the word gratitude, man attached a monetary value to the word abundance, and its spiritual meaning was lost long ago.  I believe abundance is the expression of the love and gratitude that we generate that in turn radiates all about us.

I say this because when I stand on my back porch in the summer, and I see all the green leafy plants surrounding me, and all the life dancing around and flying above, the word abundance is what I feel.  So much life everywhere!  I am abundantly grateful. 

In the end, money can’t buy you love, but gratitude can feed you all the love you will ever need.