Rumi said, “Beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” Welcome to The Soul Podcast. I’m Stacey Wheeler. 

This morning, I was reflecting on how deeply divided we’ve become. Politics, social media, even quiet moments with loved ones—it’s as if we’re standing on opposite shores of a vast chasm, unable to hear each other. Have you felt that separation, that ache for connection? Today, I’m sharing a spiritual secret, a simple tool rooted in the wisdom of Rumi, Jesus, Indigenous teachings, and more, to start bridging that divide and weave joy through unity. Let’s journey together.

Picture ancient Galilee, where sun-baked paths traced a village torn by ancient grudges. Jews on one side, Samaritans on the other, their wells apart, their lives divided by stories of right and wrong. Fear drives insecurities. Dust hangs heavy in the air, mirroring the weight of their mistrust. Each group moves through the world as if alone, their hearts guarded like olive groves behind stone walls. One twilight, a lone figure stands at the village’s central well, his silhouette soft against the amber sky. Villagers approach, their water jars become seats as they stop to listen—not to arguments carved in stone, but to the cadence of each other’s breath, the clink of clay against stone, the shared pulse of thirst. He speaks of what connects them, not what divides them. He speaks of how they all come from the same common ancestor; how it is not blood that divides, but thoughts and ideas which separate us. He speaks of how we all love our children the same. 

Slowly, hands loosen, eyes lift across the well. A quiet unity stirred, like streams converging into one river, whispering that even fractured souls can touch the same source. A slow understanding came of the people around the well before he said, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

This is not just a story of the past. It's the story of our present -as we try to reach out to connect over our similarities, while we let go of our differences. 

Division is older than recorded history, but so is the path to wholeness.

And though division is ancient; it sometimes feel like an inescapable part of our lives today. Social media amplifies it, sorting us into camps—left versus right, us versus them. When people aren't aware of the game that's in pay, they can be manipulated into thinking less of those who live differently, are from different places, have different beliefs... even like different sports teams. When a person can be manipulated into having an emotional reaction to an idea of differences, they are in essence being recruited and groomed to be part of a team of thought.... “us” versus “them.” It’s as if some force thrives on our separation, drowning out our shared humanity. 

And it's easy to understand why it's easy for media, social media (and other dark forces) to easily manipulate us -even the smartest among us. Psychologically, we cling to our tribes, fearing conflict or loss of identity. Biologically, our brains are wired for it -a defense mechanism left over from a time when group conformity meant survival. 

But spiritually, this separation fractures our joy, obscuring to the truth that we’re one. Spirituality’s heart is unity. Rumi saw us as drops flowing into a divine sea, no separation. He wrote, ‘You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.’ Each of us is a piece of something divine, bound together as one piece of a greater soul. 

Jesus prayed, ‘May they all be one, Father, as you are in me,’ as if we’re threads of a single soul. Indigenous elders teach ‘all my relations,’ linking us to every person, every blade of grass. Thich Nhat Hanh’s Buddhist wisdom calls us cups of the same ocean, shaped apart but one water. Even the Dead Sea Scrolls, from ancient Jewish communities, cherished communal love, though Jesus’ vision embraced all. Chardin spoke of a noosphere, a collective consciousness growing when we connect. Chardin said, 

“We are one, after all, you and I, together we suffer, together exist, and forever will recreate each other.” 

These voices echo the same truth: we’re not separate, but whole. We forget we are part of a single organism called humanity. It’s like the sky stretching vast above us, boundless and unbroken. From any hill or valley, we see no 'pieces' of sky, only one seamless expanse, holding clouds, stars, and sun in its embrace. A divided sky—split into fragments—would feel unnatural, a wound against its nature. So it is with us: though we seem separate, we are part of one humanity, whole and indivisible, breathing the same eternal air. So, we must practice connection.

The tool? Listen to someone you disagree with. Not to debate, not to change their mind, but to hear their soul. To understand. I tried this with an acquaintance whose political thoughts differ from mine. I asked about his fears. I looked for where we agreed, not disagreed. For five minutes, I listened, no arguing. His eyes softened; I felt connection, our shared humanity. He could feel he was seen—not judged. You see, we forget how on defense we are these days. Have you ever felt that to be open you might risk attack or ridicule? Most everyone does. What if someone, who you know thinks different, made you feel safe to share your beliefs? How might that feel, if you knew you were safe to speak openly, knowing they were only seeking areas of agreement? What a wonderful gift. Now imagine you were kind enough to do the same; to create a space to share their ideas without having to defend them. Listening dissolves fear, softens our walls, and reveals we’re one. As Maya Angelou said, “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

Listening is a spiritual act, like Jesus honoring the ‘least of these’ as himself -as stated in Matthew 25. It’s meeting in Rumi’s field, 

“Beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. Meet me there.” 

We are all relations; part of the same sky. 

Here’s your tool for a joyful life: this week, find one person you don’t align with—politics, beliefs, sports teams... anything. Ask about their story, no arguing. No defensiveness. Just hold space. Listen for five minutes. Look for common ground. Make your attention a gift to each of you. Feel the shift in your heart. This is not a simple spiritual practice. It requires an understanding and acknowledgment of your own ego. And some will rise to the challenge. If you can make it a habit, you will see a powerful connection develop with the people in your life. 

This soul practice plants unity’s seed, like joining Thich Nhat Hanh’s sea or Chardin’s noosphere. Each time we listen, we reach across that dusty well, finding joy in our shared soul. Set down the thing you've been carrying. Sit on it and listen. Try it, then share your moment with me on X or in the comments section —links in the show notes. That which tries to divide us goes against our true nature. Let’s weave a new unity together.