Sensing Crisis

Abstract

This chapter presents a crucial part of leaders’ journey towards wholeness: their deep awareness of the various levels of crises happening in their life, in their social contexts, and in the life of the world. The word “crisis” does not connote here impending catastrophe; instead, it is accepted as a necessary turning point, a crucial moment when the development moves one way or another, marshaling the resources for growth, recovery, and more profound transformation. Thus, the crisis becomes a crucible for learning and change. The experience of existential spiritual crises can be categorized into two major types: internal crisis and external crisis. The various aspects of internal crisis can be described as identity crisis, value crisis, meaning crisis, and the various aspects of external crisis can be categorized into social crisis and ecological crisis. These crises provoked questions of meaning, trust, and purpose at the internal level and questions of justice, freedom, and responsibility at the external level. The internal crises manifested as identity crisis, value crisis, and meaning crisis are intrinsically connected. The leaders also identified the experience of spiritual crisis manifested externally as social crisis and ecological crisis. These external crises also reinforce the internal crisis as well.