The Intersections of Faith and Work, January 2024

In this new economy, how shall we (re)integrate moral and ethical frameworks into our work responsibilities? The world awakens to a new reality in so many forms. We see both violent awakenings and hopeful invitations to seek spiritual guidance; steadfastness amidst calamity. After witnessing the destructive and genocidal nature of our very own economy, we collectively question everything we've come to believe as default. 
We invite a marketplace of ideas, intentionally including all faiths in order to share best practices in creating a tangible future of ethical work while redefining the nature of capitalism itself. Today, we reclaim "faith at work" as divine, mission-driven beings. That's the future of equity. Like Palestine, we too shall be free.

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What I learned...

We began as we always do, with remembering our born rights to be connected to each other, the land we share, and the time in which we occupy in a story greater than ourselves. I dedicate this learning to all of humanity. Amin.

We asked, "When we are all free, how will our faith have manifested? What will be different?" Knowing this is the most difficult question, one of the adult imagination, we still braved our answers. And we started with tears. We shall cry for months, years, for the seemingly insurmountable challenges contaminating the entire globe. We are face to face with feelings of inadequacy of action, and mourn the loss of our agency. Yet, we continue to believe in humanity. We are not just consumers, we are people with traditions of stability and who believe in divine judgement. It's just hard to imagine it again, honestly. And that's real too.

We've come to this re-imagining of the very definition of faith through human-sanctioned, brute, religious force, only proving the opposite effect: open-mindedness. Instead of by way of compulsion or absolute absence of, we've embraced the willingness to learn from all practices; accepting meaning and guidance spoken with many human-given names. We glean from these teachings mantras, mottos, simple rules, daily remembrances. As a call to spirit, we're learning through this seeking that we who experience grief feel it the same. Grief is a form of love, it proves we are human enough to love in many forms, and now we grieve for humanity itself. And, all the while increasing in gratitude for life itself. Simply put, "Don't be a jerk."

And to free ourselves from this cycle of unrequited grief, we affirm that freedom is rooted in faith not only by asking "Who are you?" but also, "What are you?" And we answer, "I am limitless, unbounded love." Let us entangle each other in healthy ways. Let us grieve, let us LEARN TO CRY TOGETHER as we mourn the passing of the old, damaged ways, and all the suffering it mindlessly inflicted.  And as we do, we shall rid ourselves of words like, "lazy" and "shame". We long for idyllic pastures, mountaintops, and the solitude of the garden yet we still come down from the mountain just to do the work. For others. 

Talking about work, when exactly did we first learn what that word meant, and isn't it time we examined our definition? As we emerge from our "colonial hangover", we look again at hunting. Fishing. Eating snacks in a simple life. Sleeping, resting. Healing. We hear the murmurs of the same symphony, each of us with our brilliant instruments longing to play on beat. Calling each other as the fogs lifts and we confront chaos. We call each other to make music together not as multiple communities, but as one community. We make one song, let us make it harmonious. 

We shall have frequent slow down, meditation spots and warn each other to not get lost in the woods. We work on our selves as a form of worship of a greater power. We hold grace for others because we know to not take anything personally (Yup, we read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz too!). We are right on time. And now is the time to take off these training wheels and see how far we can go in our own spheres of influence. 

The world is both big and within your reach where you stand. You are the world. The people around you are the world. The folks you hire, buy from, care for, love...This world is our work: To support people and spaces that share your love of humanity, like this one. May we compete for the title of "Most Generous" and celebrate the fact that we are mirrors to each other.  We're busy life-ing and we do so joyfully as we blossom towards each other. That's faith. That's work. That's equity. 

Next month, we invite folks around the proverbial fire to call for "The End of Shaming", as inspired by the circle above.  5pm PST, Tuesday, February 27, 2024. Stay in tune. 

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