Last night, Shelly led us in a discussion about vocation, which she defined using Frederick Buechner's evocative words: "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." Even though vocation can be difficult to pin down and is something that can evolve and shift throughout life, this was a valuable evening to think about where we are right now in terms of our vocation. We first talked about our field of study and why we chose to focus on that area. Then, we identified moments earlier in life that may have led us to be interested in that field. Finally, we wrote about what our own "deep gladness" is with regard to what we have chosen to study and how that connects to a "deep hunger" or need in the world.
If you like, post your (current and ever-evolving!) vocation statement in the comments, either based on what we talked about on Wednesday or your own thoughts on the issue.
Finally, a brief plug for Experience Islam Month, which is happening right now at Cal. In particular, a group from Progressive Christians will be attending the Hijabi Monologues, which is happening this Friday at 6 pm in Pauley Ballroom.
Coming up with my vocation was a tough one for me, but I settled on the following statement (for now at least!):
ReplyDeleteMy vocation is to help people examine and reconsider their beliefs, and critically think about both their own views and the other side of an argument.
My vocation is to: promote cultural, personal, spiritual, and religious pluralism; facilitate creation of authentic, caring communities; establish a culture of call; and empower young adults to pursue their greatest human potential as a means of addressing the challenges facing humanity.
ReplyDelete