Spiritualty & Collective Trauma
For my people have committed a double evil:
They have abandoned me,
the fountain of living water,
and dug cisterns for themselves—
cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.
Jeremiah 2:13
Introduction
This subject is a very important topic to understand. We must realize that everything that manifests itself in the physical, emotional, or psychological has its roots in the spiritual. Everyone must consider what they are chasing in life and if it will last. The world offers dry wells from which people seek fulfillment. But Father God who is the fountain of living water offers an oasis in a very dry and desolate world. We in theological terms are triune. We are a spirit, which has a soul and lives in a body. We are spirit and we live on forever. We will live forever with Father God or we will live separated from Him. This reconciliation or separation is based on one premise. Our freedom to choose either path. Our souls are our emotional and psychological make-up. Our soul reflects the type of psych-social construction of our reality. Lifespan development basically means that the life course for a person is developed and solidified through different life experiences. This is part of the make-up of our soul. Good and bad experiences are lived and relived again and again over our lifespan. This is considered our “collectiveness” of both good and bad life experiences. The manifestations of our experiences that makeup our reality. This is our soul consists of the good, the bad, and the ugly. The third piece of our being is called our body. Our body houses our spirit and our soul. Scripturally it is called a temple. This temple either hold a spirit that has been born again or a lost eternally. Once again, our spirituality or lack thereof is how we are wired together.
Living Waters
We return once again to the sin of idolatry which is rebellion and the basis of witchcraft. Father God gave over to Adam and Eve dominion over the world. They in turn rebelled against God and turned the title deed over to Satan. Rebellion is the foundation of witchcraft. The Lord God offers a new and vibrant way to be set free from all the past chains and traumas in our lives. It is called surrender and repentance. The living water promised by Father God comes as we surrender to Him through repentance and faith. Father God wants us to have an abundant and fruitful life but on His conditions.
Broken Cisterns
In 1 Corinthians 13:12 states that “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.” We know in part. We don’t understand all or even how trauma we experienced or still experiencing still affects us. It is through the progressive revelation by God’s spirit to our soul that we slowly begin to unravel all of the good, bad, and ugly in our lives. Jesus stated that through our relationship with Him and as we surrender to Him, we will begin to understand the TRUTH as Father God sees truth of our psych-social construction of our own reality and how it has affected us and those who are around us past and present. Jesus stated that, “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32. It is that truth revealed to us in different stages of our lives that we begin to see how the web of trauma reveals the chains of our own darkness and its manifestations known as traumatic events.
Trauma basically is a brokenness that has resulted for mankind rebellion against God. It’s our story, both personal and collective that has been buried in the shadows of our own consciousness, and it’s plays time it again in our lives. Trauma creates a hard our shell over us separating us from ourselves and others. Trauma consists of broken moments that trigger and resurface time and again in the darkness of our subconscious. Trauma creates a void, and an emptiness that can only be healed through the power of God.
Trauma as its basic conception, pushes one to become that which has been fractured. Remember the Samaritan woman at the well who met Jesus and she wanted to discuss religion. Christ discussed with her worship. She began discussing the differences between her faith to divert attention from her own fractured self. Here’s a woman that usually should collect water at the well in the morning with other ladies but because her life was so chaotic, no one was there to associate with her. She had many broken relationships. Many failed marriages. Even though her story isn’t complete, my years of experience of working with people that have fractured lives in multi-generational relationships I know their unending story that carried over many generations.
Trauma disrupts, and breaks down every spiritual, physical, emotional, and psychological form of communication and relationships that an individual has. I stated in the first teaching that trauma is never an individual act, but an act that involves many other people generational trauma, which we have named collective trauma that deals with multi-generational issues of rebellion and separation from God.
The Process of Healing.
We must understand that when I mention spirituality some think that this is additional to the healing of collective trauma. It is not additional it is the foundation for everything else. Individual and collective trauma is based on the enemy braking down and tearing apart our lives. As a psychologist I seen illness either physical, emotional, or psychological as spiritual in nature. There are many studies on people who have held on to intense trauma manifested in their lives by anger and resentment suffer at a greater risk of heart failure or strokes. These individuals feel lost and alone. Brokenness and depression are their constant companions. Once again, I state that we must realize that everything that manifests itself in the physical, emotional, or psychological has its roots in the spiritual. The healing to take place in our lives it is not just for us for but for all of those others involved in our collective trauma. Healing is social in nature. However, any type of trauma will be resolved through our surrender and repentance to Jesus Christ. When we understand the real truth behind our brokenness can we begin the journey to healing through the cross of Calvary. Jesus has come to bring us into an abundant life that was completed by His redemption. Healing on the divine side was secured but on the personal experiential side it is worked out in our lives through progressive sanctification. But we must take control of our mind, emotions, and body. This is Progressive Sanctification. Mankind is always trying to find some other way than God’s way to arrive to arrive at spiritual maturity, success, and victory over the devil in every circumstance. Remember this comes by submitting our lives to God.
Practice of Surrender, Prayer, and Study
One of the greatest Commandments of Father God is to love yourself and your neighbor. However, most people don’t love themselves and therefore can’t love others. We must understand that following God and the life He has for us will not be come to its fulness overnight. Following Father God and His word is a long road of obedience in the same direction towards the Cross of Calvary.
God is extremely interested in you. However, we live in a culture and mentality that we want instant answers and instant success. We want everything we see on TV and more. We want everything at the speed of a microwave oven. We want instant healing, success, instant discipleship, instant holiness, and instant answers to our prayers. How many people do you know that have many material things but are miserable? When one chooses to follow Christ, this is not an easy road to embark on. We are constantly being pulled way to follow our desires and our will. God wants us to depend upon Him and follow His example. He does not want us to rely on our own strength, wisdom, or how the world wants us to think and act. He wants to lead. He wants us to ask Him for every area in our life. When one is broken and traumatized there hardly can make sense of themselves let alone help others. When I came to the Lord Jesus, I was full of anger and rage. I really didn’t know why I was so angry all the time. And when they spoke of love for myself, I got even more upset because I hated myself.
Father God is also very interested in what we do with collective trauma. Jesus stated that, “But I say to you who listen (really pay attention) Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6 :27-28. What is He stating? He states that we all have had people either generationally or presently against us and our forgiveness of those people and events results in wholeness, salvation, sanity in our lives. This is the way to peace and abundant living. Yes, this is a constant battle for us choosing between good or evil. But as we walk in love, we can see the mind and character of others as God sees them. God looks at us with eternal eyes. We see that through our surrender and repentance the wisdom of God in breaking the chain of darkness. Love ultimately wins because it harms no one and wants the best for everyone.
Paul stated that we need to renew our mind. “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” Rom. 12:1-2. So, surrender to God, prayer and study of His word opens a brand-new life to us.
New Life in Him
Christ stated that if you really want to find yourself it will be through serving others. His way is the way of self-denial and suffering at times. We serve God even when we don’t want to. But there is true happiness to be found in giving your life in the service of God serving others. I am not talking about going somewhere special to serve God. Right in front of you there is someone who needs help. There is someone right in front of you who needs your forgiveness and love. Ask God how you can be useful and He will direct your steps.