Richard is convinced that money and soul are united on a deep level. He writes, "There is un río profundo, a river beneath the river. The upper stream has always been money in all its forms, beginning with trading and bartering. The deeper stream is the spiritual meaning such exchanges must have for our lives. Money and soul have never been separate in our unconscious because they are both about human exchanges, and therefore, divine exchange, too."

The Franciscan friar continues, "From my perspective, when money and soul are separated, religion is the major loser. Without a vision of wholeness that puts money in its soulful place, religion 'sells out.' Religion allowed itself to lose the only ground on which awe and transcendence stand—the foundation of totally gratuitous and 'amazing grace.'"

Lynne Twist, founder of the Soul of Money Institute, understands the impact that our culture’s disintegrated view of money has made and invites us to the spiritual practice of bringing the two—money and our souls—together in our lives:

"In a world that seems to revolve around money, it is vital that we deepen our relationship with our soul and bring it to bear on our relationship with money. In that merger and that commitment, we can create a new and profound spiritual practice. We can have our money culture both balanced and nourished by soul. Our relationship with money can become a place where, day in and day out, we can engage in this meaningful spiritual practice."

We’re so proud to have Lynne co-leading an MEA Mastery Week December 6-11 on "The Soul of Money," and the application deadline of November 1 is fast approaching. We’d love to see you in Baja for this unique opportunity to transform your relationship with money.