Practices: Anam Chara

One of the practices of the New Monasticism which forms the foundation of the Lindisfarne Community is the development of a relationship with a "soul friend," the anam chara. In my case, having regular contact with my sister-in-faith has sometimes been a real life-line, connecting each of us to our religious community, as well as to the wider world of faithful Christians.

Like spiritual direction, a relationship with my anam chara is the practice which holds me responsible for my other spiritual practices, the place where I share honestly what's going on, going well, or going off the rails!

Unlike spiritual direction, the anam chara relationship is based in mutuality.  Each of us openly acknowledges our responsibility to both give and receive.  There is not one person in charge of "guiding" the other's soul.  We are each there for the other, and for me this mutuality is a sign of the Realm of God in action, a form of sacrament, if you will.

In some ways, my choice to live a hermit's life comes from an intense privacy regarding my spiritual practice.  At its worst, it can become a kind of prideful secrecy.  The phone lines that link me to my sister-in-Christ keep me grounded, accountable, and often humbled.  Our mutual struggles with faith and life create the open spaces where the light of healing is able to seep in - thankfully!  Tenuous as those lines may feel at times, they are also tenacious, forming the web of love and prayer that holds us in community.