To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner’s death on March 30, 1925, Beaver Run hosted a conference titled Building Spiritual Substance in the New Millennium. Camphill Academy faculty and students attended alongside Camphill Community members from afar. Two of our students from The Camphill School – Zuko Kili and Heenam Kim, shared their reflections on the conference.
“It was a very special experience to be part of this conference. The lectures, conversations, practice sessions, and connections with people from around the globe provided so much inspiration. Initially, I felt a bit nervous as I only knew a few participants. However, I decided to do my best to greet others and get to know them. By the end, I had the chance to learn the names of nearly everyone, and I sincerely appreciated their openness, warmth, and kindness.
We opened every morning with a service offering and finished the day with the Foundation Stone Meditation. Throughout the conference, there were profound questions to reflect on and share with others. Some of these included: How do we learn to move our thinking to our heart? How can we bring our thinking to will? How can we imbue our community? How do we work with the spiritual world to bring light to the darkness? What is my relationship with Rudolf Steiner? What is the quality of encountering another? And more.
One lecture particularly resonated with my experiences in Camphill. The speaker shared that people with special needs come to Camphill for spiritual life, which reminded me of the importance of ritual activities within the community and recognizing each individual as a spiritual being. During the artistic activity, there was an opportunity to express sentences reflecting the lives of Steiner and his close colleagues. One of Steiner’s words touched me deeply. I believe this might be the ultimate reason for studying Steiner’s teaching in the Academy: learning how to think with the heart, not just with intellectual thought. It was an inspirational statement. Dr. Steiner: “Carry your warm hearts into the world to do powerful healing work.”
On the second day, a middle-generation meeting was planned for the evening. This initiative has been ongoing for more than a year, focused on connecting and studying together. This peer group wants to spread awareness of their existence and invite others who wish to join, share, and study with them. It was wonderful to realize that such a group exists to connect and support one another.
The closing ceremony encompassed all the moments we shared over the past three days – speeches, eurythmy, singing, spatial movement, and drama. It was such a beautiful and meaningful ending. Together, we created a cross on the floor with candlelight, symbolizing our connection. Being there was a powerful experience, and I felt we were all unified with love, warmth, and harmony. I hope to bring this learning into my daily life to understand one another and keep practicing to develop my soul’s capacity to connect with the spiritual world.” Heenam Kim, a third-year student
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“When I first heard about the conference, I was filled with excitement and was looking forward to having a meaningful spiritual experience. I came to the conference seeking words of courage. For many years, I had known that Dr. Rudolf Steiner crossed the threshold decades ago, yet on day one, it felt like Dr. Steiner had just passed away. It felt like I was attending his memorial service. I remember having an overwhelming experience as I looked at an image of Dr. Steiner’s lifeless body, one I had never seen before. The intensity of this overwhelming feeling lifted when I heard Dr. Ita Wegman speak for the first time as she addressed the Vorstand. At that moment, it felt like she was speaking directly to me.
Every aspect of the conference felt like putting pieces of a puzzle together – each enlightening lecture, the biography of Dr. Steiner, his work, and his influence on the Anthroposophical Society and beyond. It was an honor to learn about the origins of humanity through a spiritual context, exploring what we are now and what we should become as we work towards the future. I was particularly struck by hearing about “The Nathan Soul” and its global influence. Another new piece of information for me was the introduction to the Vorstand members, and I had the privilege of portraying Albert Stefan with a line, “How holy is the death of our teacher? He entered into the love of God.“ We also had conversation groups and artistic work where we reflected on our experiences during the conference and engaged in various topics like, “How will we work with spirit beings to bring light into the darkness of our time.”
The conference focused on finding ways to manage our daily tasks at hand and how to move forward toward the future. A conversation suggested the importance of asking questions and showing interest as the key to achieving that. The first day started with the Festival of Offering and ended with the Foundation Stone meditation, which was a life-changing and soul-filling experience. What I took from this conference was the formula for growth and how to meet my full potential – becoming a vessel for building a community for our people. As I seek the path of personal and karmic development, this conference served as a gateway towards that journey. I was surrounded by people with whom I shared enlightening conversations and deep reflections. I am grateful for this incredible opportunity”. Zuko Kili, student, practical training year
