I’ve always loved Horatio Spafford’s hymn “It is Well with my Soul”:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Spafford wrote these words while sailing from the US to England, passing the spot in the ocean where the ship carrying his four daughters had recently sunk and drowned them all.

What is the soul? I just started John Ortberg’s book, Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You. Here’s what I’ve learned so far… Dallas Willard, John Ortberg’s mentor, taught John that that we have a will. Our will gives us the ability to say yes and no. It’s the part of us that makes commitments. Willpower is good, but not enough to change our soul. Then there’s the mind often flowing in habitual patterns, which our will has a hard time controlling. Our mind can be controlled by sinful thoughts or by the Spirit.  The body is the tiny kingdom where our mind dwells and our will has a chance to be in charge. 

Encompassing our will, mind, and body is our soul. The soul seeks harmony, connection and integration. It “seeks to connect us with other people, with creation, and with God.” The soul is the deepest part of us. It becomes even deeper when connected to God. However, sin causes “dis-integration” and chaos, pulling us in different directions. 

We’re made to be aligned in one direction, toward God. When we turn toward God (a practice we focus upon in Lent) our will, mind, body and soul align. They integrate and follow God’s calling. The Spirit moving within us, the call of our baptism, and the call of the image of God within us all help us to turn toward God. As we answer this call, we are at peace. We can know, even in the midst of angst and tragedy, that it is indeed, well with our soul. Read Luke 10: 25-37, and remember: one great step on that road to your soul’s wellness is knowing in will, mind, body and soul that God loves YOU unconditionally.

Mike