Deep Dive Part 2
December 18, 2025
Deep Dive Part 2
The next step in taking the deep dive is courage.
Courage is essential when we take a deep dive into the spiritual world because it brings new awareness that challenges, inspires, unsettles, and even disturbs us. Delving deeper can reveal truths we would rather avoid and challenge our behavior or attitudes. It may ask us to release old beliefs, dethrone some of our heroes, or recognize goodness in those we once judged. A deep dive can reveal our shadow and demand that we accept what we have resisted. Yet these awakenings bring consciousness. Without them, we can sleepwalk through life, and sadly, miss the true excitement of living the spiritual life.
Courage is a virtue and a divine soul quality. It gives us the strength to face threats, changes, and disillusionment. It looks fear in the eye and refuses to retreat. It is sustained by our hunger for truth over illusion, our yearning to know the spiritual life more deeply, and the divine strength to which our souls are tethered. Genuine courage allows us to walk into the unknown, inspect our hearts, and to transform.
No authentic study or expedition into the spiritual world is a surface proposition. The deep dive is essential to understanding truth at its roots and applying it to life. The deeper dive moves beyond knowledge into wisdom. Those who thirst for wisdom and a stronger relationship with the Divine most always find the courage to step into uncharted waters.
During my academic training, I took a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) course. I had no idea how deep that dive would be. We immersed ourselves in theory, applied it in clinical settings, and reported our experiences in small groups. My peers witnessed my struggles, mistakes, and insights, as I did theirs. Many times, I wished we had stayed on the surface. The process threatened my self-image and some of the ideas and revelations frightened me. I did not think I had what it took for such a deep dive.
But when I could not find courage within myself, I prayed for it, and learned it was there all along. Looking back, I am profoundly grateful for that deep dive, the first of many to follow. Deeper dives into Spirit never end; there is always a deeper and more profound aspect of God that God wants to reveal. Today I could take yet another deep dive. I pray to experience an even deeper layer of courage for this new challenge.
Spiritual practice: Reflect on how courage plays a role when you dive deeper into the spiritual realm.
Self-inquiry: What keeps you from diving deeper into your spiritual studies?
Prayer:
Dear God, I long to know more, to experience more, and to live more consciously. But I cannot without the courage you provide. I now pray to experience that courage within. Amen.
