The Five Gates

Spirit

The spirit is the flame that provides the light, safety, and warmth of our beings. We are spiritual beings, created as God’s image bearers to this world. We are meant to create other living beings and systems and to bring light into every aspect of our lives; however, we naturally lack the constitution to do more than take care of ourselves, as beings whose spirits/hearts are born weak. To fulfill our purpose, we must condition our spirits/hearts through prayer and meditation, building a connection to our Creator. The spirit must be our strongest gate, our primary focus and the last to fail.

Soul

If the spirit is a flame, then the soul is the candle. It is the bridge between our spirits—our pure selves—and our bodies, the units we use to connect to the world. Through our souls, we think and emote; the soul is our will and how we process and actualize our spiritual natures. This second gate is partially developed in tandem with our spirits, but its true potential is only reached through deliberate acts of development: reading for both learning and pleasure, learning and practicing a craft, taking classes, writing expressively and creatively, and listening to others.

Body

The body is the vessel through which we interact with the world; it is our tether to the sensual world and the engine by which we express the substance of our souls. Consequently, this gate requires true development of the spirit and soul to reach its full potential, and yet, its development also helps to develop them (will, determination, fortitude, etc.). Our bodies are developed when we eat correctly (preferring the natural over the chemically processed) exercise through a balanced fitness program, and take time to rest and reenergize ourselves. This gate is most susceptible to attack and failure.

Relationships

We are social beings, created by a social God who has spent millennia teaching humankind to build, protect, and repair relationships. We are not beings who developed by chance from the accidental material of the universe; instead, we are image-bearers who come from, commune with, and imitate the Most High. We are not an accident of life; rather, we contend that we are the Most High’s intentional children. Therefore, we are of value to Him, ourselves, and others, and we develop relationships because, as a united people in the home and community, we are truly living and acting in His image.

Trophies

Our trophies are the tools we use to develop the other gates. However, they are more than just our possessions. To our spirits, they are the prayer rugs upon which we seek the Most High. To our souls, they are the books we read or the music we enjoy. To our bodies, they are the foods we eat and the gym equipment we use. In our relationships, they are the homes we build and the many symbols of our love. Our trophies are what we gain and gather in life to be used as tools to accomplish our goals. They always fail, so we learn to treasure the other gates above them.