How I talk about faith at work
I get questions all the time about the actual mechanics of how I (try to) live and share my faith at work. And so I thought I would gather my thoughts here.
I think I’ve always been relatively comfortable talking about my faith, but the biggest sea change came during business school. I remember the very first day of orientation, we were broken into small groups to share some writing we had been tasked with before showing up. The first question was “What is the purpose of life?” I did not know that I would be called upon to share my answer with a group of people I had literally just met, and I didn’t have the time to rewrite it before it was my turn to share. I looked at these strangers, cleared my throat, and began: “I believe the purpose of life is to become a Saint.”
I thought I would be laughed right off campus, but instead, they asked thoughtful questions, shared some of their own faith journeys, and received what was probably an unexpected response with so much grace. That set the tone for me for business school: I didn’t really hold back. I shared my faith pretty openly. And when I returned to the workplace, that attitude continued.
I think (hope) the primary way I share my faith is by how I act. I try to work hard, be kind and patient and diligent, and to avoid complaining. I strive to be thoughtful and generous, to bring excellence to my efforts. Integrity and honesty are givens. I take accountability when I make a mistake and work to make it right. These all might sound like “no duh” but I work at a very competitive, high-intensity company and choosing virtue often takes extra effort (obviously, always worth it).
Second, I share my life. If you ask me what I did this weekend, I’m going to tell you that I went to Mass, attended my friend’s baby’s baptism, and went to a Pentecost party. If you ask what I’m reading, I’ll tell you it’s Fr. Jacques Philippe (Thirsting for Prayer is rocking my world). If you ask where I’m going at 5:20 pm, I’ll point out the window at the church dome. I take a genuine interest in the lives of others, and they typically take one in mine. (Mine tends to have a lot of church things.)
And what is the fruit of these two actions? Conversation. I can count on one hand the number of days I have been in my office and not talked about faith. Almost every single day, someone comes by my desk to show me a picture of a church they saw on vacation that made them think of me, to share a prayer request or miracle they experienced, or to bring up our beloved pope. I have prayed in phone rooms with colleagues, gone on walks to talk about how God is moving in our lives, and offered encouragement during frustrating and discouraging days. Once, I even had a colleague pull me into a team room between meetings and ask me to sponsor her as she joined the church. To think of doing this job and not talking about faith seems almost as crazy as reading this might feel to some of you.
So where to start? I think the simplest answer is to just say yes to the Spirit. If you’re in conversation and feel called to share something, do it. Be brave! Be honest about what’s important to you, how you spend your time, what’s getting you excited. It’s okay to have opinions, to have conviction, to share who you are.
Now, I’m rarely the one who brings up faith at work. It’s a part of who I am, and the people around me know that, and they’re the ones who start the conversations. I imagine it’s like if I were a fan of some big sports team, and people knew they could connect to me on that — except the sport is heaven and everyone can be a winner! I love the phrase, “There are no atheists in foxholes,” and I think it’s true more broadly: when people are going through something, are stressed or worried or afraid, it’s a gift to be able to receive them and give them something I know works: prayer.
This week, I encourage you to share something new about yourself at work. Maybe that’s your faith, or a new interest, or a goal you have for the summer. We have so much to share with the world — do not hide your light under a bushel basket! I’m in your corner.
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
DC friends - event tomorrow!!
I’m so excited to join my friend Alison as her conversation partner on her new book, Was it Something I Said?, at the Catholic Information Center tomorrow night! You can RSVP for the free event here.
Pentecost treats!
I saw Be a Heart’s Pentecost cake years ago and I have always wanted to try it, and this year I went to a Pentecost party where it was the perfect dessert! Also, I just happened to pick up the cupcake with St. Jude — my #1 guy! Come, Holy Spirit.
May 30 is St. Joan of Arc’s feast day!
St. Joan of Arc’s feast is on Saturday! I love her so much — and I found out this week that Baz Luhrmann is making an epic movie about her life, filming right now — please pray that it is good!! She’s truly a hero. You can learn more about her in this “The Rest is History” Podcast (it’s a four part series but I devoured it) or in one of my favorite books of all time, Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc!
I’m about 40% through Pope Leo’s encyclical on human dignity and the use of technology and AI — it’s so beautiful. One moment I loved:
Work is not considered simply as a problem to be dealt with or a means of generating income, but a fundamental good for the person, a principle of economic activity and the key to the entire societal question. Through work, human beings bring their freedom, creativity and capacity for cooperation into play, contributing to the cultural and moral elevation of society. In light of this, the various kinds of job insecurity, fragmented career paths and automation must not be evaluated solely in terms of efficiency, but in relation to the dignity of the worker, the right to sufficient remuneration and the genuine possibility of participating in society.
Wow. I’ll share more thoughts next week, when I’ve had a chance to finish the whole thing and sit with it a bit!
Why I love being Catholic in DC
This was a real text I received last week:
We have a “priest band” in the diocese, and it’s called “Upon this Rock.” I love it here.
Prayer intentions
For a special intention