We Are the Body
Jul 09, 2026After hearing about my vision for the upcoming alumni retreat, Know and Show: We Are the Body, Director of WTC's School of Spiritual Direction, Kasey Hitt, asked me to clarify what I mean by "spiritual gifts."
Within the Christian tradition, spiritual gifts are understood as ways the Spirit works through each of us for the good of the whole community. At Wisdom Tree, we know people come from a variety of faith backgrounds and experiences. You may think of these as your strengths, your deepest capacities, the ways you naturally offer love and care, or the unique gifts you bring to the world. Whatever language you use, the invitation is the same: to notice what is life-giving within you and consider how it contributes to the flourishing of others.
As a mental health counselor, I spend much of my time listening to grief, disappointment, anger, fear, and the many ways life has been difficult. As I hold these stories, I find myself asking another question: Where is the goodness?
I firmly believe in the perpetual existence of dialectics—two seemingly opposing truths that can exist simultaneously. Sadness and joy. Pain and pleasure. Fear and excitement. Anger and love. Fear and hope.
As I search for the goodness in the lives of my clients, I also help them discover their strengths. True to dialectical nature, our strengths can sometimes become our weaknesses depending on how they're expressed—but that's a conversation for another day. 😉
The "We Are the Body" portion of our retreat theme comes from Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 12. He reminds us that just as the human body has many parts working together, so it is with our communities.
"There are many parts, but one body... The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!'... If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it... Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
Paul goes on to describe the many different gifts people bring—teaching, healing, helping, leadership, encouragement, and more—not to elevate one over another, but to remind us that every gift matters and every person belongs.
Whether or not you come from a Christian background, the wisdom of this image is universal. Communities thrive when each person contributes their unique gifts. None of us can do everything, but each of us can do something. Together, we become more than we could ever be alone.
Another part of the "We Are the Body" theme is recognizing the gift of our very bodies. They allow us to think, move, create, embrace, comfort, speak, listen, and act with compassion. Through our embodied lives, we express love in countless ways.
So what makes a gift spiritual?
For me, it is less about what the gift is and more about how it is used. Does it bring life? Does it foster healing, connection, wisdom, compassion, or hope? Does it help another person flourish? If so, perhaps it is participating in something sacred.
Many people use tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Enneagram, StrengthsFinder, or the reflections of trusted loved ones to better understand their strengths. These can all be helpful starting points. Sometimes we also notice our gifts by paying attention to what energizes us, what feels deeply meaningful, or where others consistently experience us as a blessing.
Knowing our gifts allows us to step forward with greater confidence when we encounter a need we are uniquely equipped to meet. Like a Lego Minifigure, we snap into place where we belong in the community.
And perhaps that's one of the greatest gifts of all: discovering that we belong to one another. When each person brings their unique gifts with humility and generosity, our communities become places where we feel connected, meaningful, strengthened, and deeply loved.
-Amy Hammett, Graduate of WTC's first cohort of the School of Spiritual Direction and organizer of WTC's first Alumni Retreat!
Photo by Giulia May on Unsplash
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