by Conti Schulz

"Father, Father, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?"

By Daniel Jacob

Just as I completed a series of article called "Dealing With Spiritual Emergency," America sunk its teeth into another one and bit down hard. The Virginia Tech Massacre was a shock to us all. It contained all the "highlights" (or should I say "lowlights") that an injured nation requires, not only to build a host of compelling news stories, but also to awaken people once again to the crying need that moves all around us, a need that pretty much goes unnoticed and unaddressed.

The essence of Fatherhood is initiative, wisdom, and provision for daily need. The essence of Motherhood is sensitivity, hospitality, and nurturing for heart and soul. These are roles, not people. In a Oneness Economy, each person carries his own set of "parents" inside, without respect to gender. But in Separation, there always seems to be someone or something missing, some VOID we are seeking to fill.

I am focusing on Father stuff right now, but I want to follow that with something about Mom, too. She's been missing for ages, even though there are physical women in this world who carry her title. I am speaking, of course, about the Divine Feminine. We all miss that element, whether we are aware of it or not. But for now, I wish to talk about the dynamics existing between Man and Woman, Father-Mother, and Father-Child." MORE

"An Empty Chair, An Empty Cup"

By Daniel Jacob

My last article addressed an "empty chair" at many tables in our world today: a Father who has left, or was never there in the first place. There are many reasons this may be so. Perhaps Dad has been killed in the service of his country. There are lots of soldiers today who fly off to Iraq, never to return. Or maybe he decided he no longer wants to be married, so he's gone away to recover parts of his own "inner child" that never got to develop. Perhaps Mom never married him because all she really wanted was a baby, not a life partnership. The reasons can be as varied as the people involved. But the VOID in the life of the children left behind always seems the same.

As I said before, the essence of Fatherhood is initiative, wisdom, and provision for daily need. The essence of Motherhood is sensitivity, hospitality, and nurturing of heart and soul. These are roles, not people. In a Oneness Economy, each person carries his own set of "parents" inside, regardless of gender. So each person represents a mixture of Father/Mother vibes. But in Separation, there always seems to be someone or something missing---some VOID we are seeking to fill.

When one parent leaves the family picture, the other parent usually combines BOTH sets of responsibilities into one job description. I know this from personal experience. My boys' mother passed away when they were 7 and 11 years old, and I raised them alone from that point on. Several great women have come into our lives, but no one ever felt quite right to take over that "mother" role. Over time, I gradually found myself becoming a "Father-Mother." MORE