Greed is often associated with stinginess and never wasting anything. This causes me to muse….

When we think of greed, we usually picture stinginess with money, possessions, or power. But I believe another, deeper kind of greed is perhaps the most profound. It is the withholding of ourselves, our hearts, and our presence. 

A giving heart is the antidote to a greed-ridden heart.

A giving heart is not ruled by fear of scarcity but overflows with abundance that displaces that very fear.

In becoming conscious, we awaken to the truth that we are not our appearance, personality, or possessions. We are our soul, our most authentic self, and our soul’s relationship with the Divine is the only thing we truly have, and the only thing that matters. Yet our culture tells us otherwise: “You are not enough unless you have enough.” The problem is, “enough” never arrives.

Greed is the reluctance to relinquish what we hold dear. In its worst form, it includes holding on to what other people hold dear even if we do not value it. Greed can also mean the desire for what belongs to another. What one person treasures may seem worthless to someone else. Greed is deeply personal. And it can be weaponized.

Greed easily morphs into lust. These two passions are woven into one another, which is why the Enneagram reveals their deep connection. Greed is the passion of Ego Type Five, while Lust is the passion of Ego Type Eight. One of the inner lines of the Enneagram links these two points, reminding us that greed and lust both spring from an unhealthy ego that has lost touch with the Virtues and Holy Ideas of the soul.

The word “greed” comes from the Old English “grædig,” meaning “hungry” or “voracious.” It points to a hunger that is never satisfied, marked by a desire to hold on, to never run out, and to secure what we value.

When we do not want to forgive, we can pray for the power to do so. As reflected upon earlier, prayer can be a vital part of spiritual alchemy, that profound transformation that takes place in our spirit. Prayer changes things, by also changing us. By aligning with the Divine, our thoughts and intentions shift from an egocentric orientation to a soulcentric one; this is a game changer. 

None of us alive today personally carried out the great injustices of our history. We did not commit the genocide of Native Americans, enforce Jim Crow laws, or place Japanese Americans in camps. We did not enslave people as property. Yet, we all live in a world that in part, those acts created. 

Those who have been sexually abused find great healing in therapies designed for these specific issues. Over the years, exercises and techniques have been developed that move the client along to confront their fears, shame, anger, and hatred. Eventually, the person refuses to allow the perpetrator one more minute of robbing them of their happiness and peace. This is a turning point in this therapy because they see a way forward with freedom from the attachment to anger, which paradoxically binds them to the perpetrator. Forgiveness is the highest form of detachment and resolution. 

In my work with dear souls who have been abused, the issue of forgiveness comes up regularly. Many victims simply cannot comprehend how their parent or anyone could harm an innocent child. Many are victims of sexual abuse. The memories of this and the heartache it causes are profound, long-lasting, and in many cases, life-altering. The continuing hurt makes the abuse even more difficult to forgive and to put in the past. 

As reflected about yesterday, we need divine super qualities to do things we cannot do on our own. So, forgiveness and self-forgiveness require divine qualities of self-compassion and grace, which the ego and personal willpower alone cannot supply. This is done through a process of spiritual alchemy. 

The spiritual road to self-forgiveness takes its own path. When regret weighs heavily on us, we may try to make amends, but even then, guilt often lingers. Even when we know God has forgiven us, we may hold on to the guilt. What we truly long for is resolution within our own soul; we want to feel free and at peace again. This requires extending to ourselves the grace of forgiveness.

One of the most challenging forms of forgiveness is often self-forgiveness. When we cross a line and hurt someone intentionally or unintentionally, it is natural to hold it against ourselves. When it comes to forgiving, many of us are much harder on ourselves than we are on others.

Our inner peace is heaven-sent. Of course, we must make room for it, ask for it, and protect it, but it is there. It is a real treasure in this noisy, hasty, demanding, and stressful world. I like to think the Creator placed a peaceful place inside each of us so we would never forget heaven’s peace. It is like a bit of heaven within. Some describe it as the Holy of Holies inside themselves; others, as the calm core at the very center of their being.

When we dare to imagine creatively, we tap into heaven, which is the source of all creativity. Every creative idea is heaven-sent. Imagination takes us beyond ordinary thought, beyond the constraints and limitations that keep us locked into “what is.” Too often we tell ourselves, “That’s not possible,” and we shut down the path that might have led to something new. But in genuine imagination, we let go of all limitations and open ourselves to the unbelievable, the impossible, and the unimaginable.

Why would we need or want something that is heaven-sent? Don’t we already have enough on this side of heaven? Isn’t the world sufficient without anything else coming from above? Aren’t the goodness, mercy, compassion, and love in our hearts enough to see us through? 

For me, our back porch is heaven-sent. It looks out over the backyard, shaded by tall oaks and a huge magnolia tree. On the porch is comfortable seating, and most important of all, a hummingbird feeder that draws tiny visitors throughout the day.