Holy Shift! (Part 5): Circles of Care | Jake Haber

In this powerful conclusion to the Holy Shift! series, we explore paradigm-shifting ways of seeing ourselves and the world, culminating in a profound reflection on love and belonging. Over four weeks, we’ve examined the Stages of Faith, Religious Renewal, and Spiral Dynamics, tracing the expansion of our capacity for care—from self-care to planetary and universal care.

 

At its core, love—or care—is the through-line of our lives, shaping our sense of belonging and our connection to the world. We begin with the fundamental need for self-care and expand outward: relational love, tribal/community care, world care, planetary care, and universal care. Each stage builds on the last, mirroring humanity’s evolution of consciousness.

 

But love isn’t always easy. We confront the failures of love, the struggles of embracing those who challenge us, and the tension between instinctual survival and radical compassion. Ultimately, this is a blueprint for spiritual growth—an invitation to break beyond conditional care and step into the interconnection of all life.

 

As we navigate a time of global transition, may we recognize that discomfort is the threshold to transformation. This is our collective rite of passage, a moment of expansion amidst contraction. Love will always find its way—our task is to align ourselves with the flow of reality and embrace the holy shifts that call us forward.

 

Quotes: 

 

Carol Gilligan: “The progression in the development of the ethics of care is marked by a shift in the focus of responsibility: from caring for the self (preconventional), to caring for others at the expense of the self (conventional), and finally to a balanced responsibility that integrates care for both self and others (postconventional).”

• Richard Rohr: “The moment we make God a tribal deity, we have made an idol. The divine is not contained within borders, flags, or a single nation’s cause.”

• Martin Luther King Jr.: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

• Metta Sutta: “As a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love toward all beings.”

• Albert Schweitzer: “Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”

Groucho Marx: “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as a member.”

• Albert Einstein: “I love humanity, but I loathe people.”

Dan Millman: “Every positive change–every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness–involves a rite of passage. Each time to ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation. I have never found an exception.”

• Abraham Maslow: “At any moment, you have a choice: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.”

• Thich Nhat Hanh: “Because you are alive, everything is possible. The entire cosmos has come together to make your existence possible. You are not a separate entity; you are the universe itself.”

 

This series has been about expanding our circles of care, deepening our capacity for love, and embracing the evolutionary call toward greater consciousness. The journey of growth is never easy, but every holy shift is a step toward a world where love leads the way.