We had several short seminars and workshops this past week about how to be Christian in academia. (And no, it doesn't mean going around talking about Jesus.) John Stackhouse has a really helpful view about how to live out one's faith at work, and it involves first, being what we were created to be, that is, human, and second, bringing peace to our workplace.
On the one hand, recognizing that we are human forces us to be realistic about who we are and what we can do. But on the other hand, the mission of Christ is to bring love, peace and reconciliation to the communities in which we find ourselves. Consequently, this view of the Christian story and the role we play in it is both immensely freeing and challenging.
I often struggle with office politics, and am terrible at reading the power struggles. Consequently, I tend to withdraw rather than engage, but it is not exactly the most "shalom" of all approaches. One of my senior colleagues who was at one of the talks said in the elevator, "In order to bring peace to our workplaces, we need to first find peace for ourselves. And there must be a place for people like us because the university, like the church, needs people with different gifts." That is really wise. I'm learning to see now that this job is not just about teaching (even if the rest of the world thinks so), that I do have multiple responsibilities, and that I am called to bring light--to the best of my limited abilities--in all these different capacities.
Sigh. Is it really only Monday today?
On the one hand, recognizing that we are human forces us to be realistic about who we are and what we can do. But on the other hand, the mission of Christ is to bring love, peace and reconciliation to the communities in which we find ourselves. Consequently, this view of the Christian story and the role we play in it is both immensely freeing and challenging.
I often struggle with office politics, and am terrible at reading the power struggles. Consequently, I tend to withdraw rather than engage, but it is not exactly the most "shalom" of all approaches. One of my senior colleagues who was at one of the talks said in the elevator, "In order to bring peace to our workplaces, we need to first find peace for ourselves. And there must be a place for people like us because the university, like the church, needs people with different gifts." That is really wise. I'm learning to see now that this job is not just about teaching (even if the rest of the world thinks so), that I do have multiple responsibilities, and that I am called to bring light--to the best of my limited abilities--in all these different capacities.
Sigh. Is it really only Monday today?
No comments:
Post a Comment