IPS and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies recently co-sponsered the “Lectoring with Spirit” workshop.
This workshop was important because it served as a reminder that it is vital to be prepared and to think everything through in advance. When the sacred texts are read clearly and emphasized properly and passionately, those in the pews can fully understand the meanings of the messages.
The event was facilitated by Kevin E. O’Connor, Certified Speaking Professional. He led the 70 attendees in practical thinking and skills exercises that taught them ways to make the sacred scripture come to life for members in their parishes.
The Parish Leadership and Management Programs at IPS often holds workshops on various topics and we would love for you to join us at the next one! For more information, please visit our Parish Leadership and Management page or contact coordinator Mark Bersano at the IPS office.
We would like to welcome Christopher Morales to the IPS team as a student worker! Christopher is just beginning his college career and has many admirable goals for his future. At IPS, we are happy to help Christopher and other students learn more skills that will help them on their journey.
Continue reading below to get to know a little more about him.
Where are you from? My Hometown is Chicago, primarily raised in the Humboldt Park area.
What do you like to do in your spare time outside of school and work?
A few of the things I like to do in my spare time are play sports, spend time with friends and family, visit my high school (Chicago Bulls College Prep.) and lead the cross fit also known as fit bulls class for a few class periods.
What is a fun fact or story about you?
A fun fact about myself is that I’ve played the violin for Chicago Bulls College Prep throughout my four years of high school.
What are you studying in school?
I am currently a part of Arrupe College of Loyola University of Chicago. This is a program designed to help build college success. The students of Arrupe College study their first 2 years there which will get you an associate’s degree. If any student wishes to further their education they can do so by transferring to any four year institute in Illinois, so that all of their credits can be transferred over; therefore, at Arrupe College I am only studying my general education courses. After Arrupe College I plan to transfer over to Loyola University of Chicago and major in criminal justice with the hopes of becoming a police officer.
What are a couple of your future goals?
One of my future goals is to become a police officer and to slowly work my way up the chain of command. I also want to own a house by the age of 24. I want to graduate with a bachelor’s degree because I will then be the second one in my entire family to have graduated from college with a degree.
What made you apply for this student worker position?
I was offered this job position by Gina Lopez due to how well my admission interview went for Arrupe College. I then contacted Gina back and accepted the position. Thus far, this has been a great experience and I am sure that I will continue to build my knowledge throughout IPS.
What are you looking forward to learning and accomplishing while working at IPS?
I am looking forward to accomplishing the task at hand on a daily basis and being able to work with this industry. I have only done this type of work one time prior to this one and I am enjoying every minute of it. This work is beneficial for skills and functions that I will need to know about later in life and I am really grateful for having the opportunity to work with IPS.
We hope you have been enjoying your summer! We talked with a couple people to hear what they had to say about their experience in the IPS Rome program this summer.
The course, Peacebuilding in a Global, Interfaith Context, was taught by Dr. Marian Diaz. The course explored the theory and practice of peacebuilding from a variety of religious perspectives. Peacebuilding involves the period of time after a conflict has come to some resolution. The course focused on how a lasting peace can be forged in a given context in light of cultural and religious differences.
Both Christine Collins and Susan Schemper heard about this special course through IPS staff and faculty. Susan said her advisor, Bill Schmidt, suggested it, and Christine actually found out about this program on a fluke.
“I went to a seminar Loyola was having at the Cuneo property in Vernon Hills one night about graduate school. I really didn’t have a direction, and thought by attending I might find an avenue to pursue. I spoke with Chrissy Sofranko that night and she asked me some questions that led to her telling me about the Rome program,” mentioned Christine. “When I left that night I knew I wanted to go to Rome with Loyola!”
Christine and Susan each had unique moments that were the most memorable for them on the trip.
“I loved the Sant’ Egidio visit and talk given by Marco,” said Christine.
For Susan it was “sitting with the group from Rondine and getting a sense of what that peace-making group is about.”
The IPS Rome program offers learning and cultural experiences that you can’t find in a classroom in Chicago.
“I learned how much more there is to the world. In all aspects. Historically, politically and just globally in general,” said Christine.
“The overwhelming thing I learned was just how complex peacemaking is in a world of different belief systems and religions. Yet, it is also always between people or people and their environment,” noted Susan.
When asked if they would recommend this program to other students, they both said, “absolutely!”
“You can not get this experience/education in a classroom or out of a book,” added Christine. “I loved every minute of our time in Italy. I learned so much from the people and places we visited. I also learned a lot from our Professor and my classmates. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I will never forget it!”
Susan did have a bit of good advice for future participants of the program:
“Take good shoes for walking and an open-mind. It will take awhile to metabolize the content of the trip over time. Relax and let that happen.”
Christine concluded, “It is an amazing experience – enjoy!”
Thank you to all who attended this year. We hope to see more of you in the Rome program next summer! Check back on the IPS website during the 2016 Spring semester for updated information.
IPS welcomes new staff member, Mirta Garcia. Mirta is the Administrative Assistant for Parish Leadership and Management Programs. This is a new position created in response to the success of the Hispanic Ministry segment of these programs that are spearheaded by Coordinator Mark Bersano.
“Given her extensive administrative experience, religious education background and fluency in Spanish, we are very fortunate to have Mirta on our team to serve parish communities,” commented Mark.
Mirta has only been in the office for a short time, but she already feels like she is part of the IPS family; and we agree!
“I am very thankful and blessed to be part of such wonderful group of people. From the first day that I walked into IPS office, I felt at home. I am looking forward to a great start, supporting and helping kick-off the great program that Mark Bersano and Felipe Legarreta-Castillo are leading in the office of Parish Leadership and Management Programs,” said Mirta.
Read the Q&A with Mirta below to learn a little more about her and be sure to welcome her to the IPS community!
Where are you from?
I was born in Melrose Park, IL, raised in Chicago, and my parents are from Durango, Mexico.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy taking a walk with my husband, Cesar. Together we enjoy watching our son, Andrew, play college football at Augustana College. For the past 4 years, we’ve enjoyed watching our daughter, Alexis, cheer on the High School football and basketball teams. My youngest daughter, Maya, kept us on our toes last year. She participated in volleyball, basketball, cheerleading and dance. Next month Maya will be entering Leyden HS where she will be part of the Marching Band. Is it football season yet?
What is a fun fact or story about you?
I am a Catechist and teach CCD at my parish, St. John Vianney, since 2011. I’ve helped students prepare to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. This fall I will be teaching the teenage girls in their first year of Sacrament of Confirmation preparation.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment, personally or professionally, so far? My biggest accomplishment was having the opportunity to coach my daughter, Maya, plus 25 other cheerleaders with Leyden Bears – United YFL. I share this experience with my daughter, Alexis, who was one of my teen coaches. This experience created a bigger bond between my daughters and I. Having the opportunity to shape, form and encourage these young ladies was priceless. Bringing home three times Regional and National Champs trophies was a big plus too.
How did you feel when you were offered the position at IPS?
Excited… I even did the happy dance.
What previous education or experience has best prepared you for this role?
I have an associates degree in Secretarial Science from Robert Morris University. I am skilled in Office Management in the areas of Administration, Quality Control, Event Coordination, and Human Resources. I have worked for a Fortune 500 company. One of my unique strengths is the ability to support multiple VP Level executives and multi-task effectively.
What are you looking forward to bringing to this new role at IPS?
I am looking forward to bringing my solid background experience in office administration, my enthusiasm, and my passion towards my Catholic faith.
Do you have a mentor or an experience in your life that helped shape who you are today?
My participation in Spiritual Exercises retreats have really shaped my spiritual life. It is in the silence of the retreat that I am able to enter and deepen my faith and reach other levels of my spiritual journey. Having Daire Ryan, a Consecrated Women of Regnum Christ, as my Spiritual Director has made a positive impact in my spiritual journey.
Two of our IPS students, Elizabeth (Liz) Palmer and Christina (Tina) Cisarik, will be Graduate Assistants for LUC Campus Ministry this upcoming academic year. Campus Ministry’s graduate assistantship is a program for Loyola graduate students who are exploring a call to ecclesial ministry. While examining this call in the context of a university community, Graduate Assistants work toward proficiency in the skills necessary to answer the call, namely pastoral leadership, pastoral care and program management. (For more information, visit the IPS Financial Aid site.)
We are so pleased to have students like Tina and Liz who are eager to give back to the Loyola community and represent IPS in such a wonderful way. Continue reading to find out how these ladies plan on bringing their unique passions, experiences, attitudes and goals to set the world on fire.
First, meet Liz Palmer. She is earning her Master of Divinity (MDiv) at IPS and expects to graduate in 2018.
Liz Palmer
Any classes in particular you look forward to taking at IPS? This fall, I am enrolled in Introduction to Theology and Ministry. I anticipate this class to create a strong foundation for my studies. I am excited to learn more about the history and traditions of theology and to be able to apply that knowledge practically in ministry. I hope to grow professionally while learning and growing in my faith.
Tell us about your new role at LUC Campus Ministry: I am privileged to work with Campus Ministry as Retreats Assistant this year. This role will allow me to lead retreats such as Loyola 360, Unwritten, Transfer Student Retreat, among others at Loyola’s Retreat Center throughout the year. Working collaboratively with other students and mentors, I look forward to developing opportunities for students to be reflective, to explore their faith, and to foster relationships. My goal is for the retreats to branch into all areas of life and have an impact even after the retreat weekend ends. Life is a retreat that should be embraced daily. I am eager to spend my time in the Campus Ministry offices to connect with the Loyola community.
What are you looking forward to bringing to your new internship outside the classroom that you have learned inside the classroom? Pursuing my undergraduate education at Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame, Indiana) taught me that the mind must be educated simultaneously with the heart. I discovered this as a Biology and Psychology major with a Religious Studies minor. This culmination of disciplines allowed me to understand that faith and reason coexist. I also learned the importance of walking in solidarity with others. Conversations with my mentors and peers highlighted our shared humanity and the value of human relationships. I hope to integrate these lessons into my role of Retreat’s Assistant at Loyola.
What are you most looking forward to accomplishing during your time here at Loyola IPS and how does that relate to your future goals? During my time in Loyola IPS, I most look forward to learning about and embracing the Jesuit identity. Through my studies and internship, my goals include promoting justice through my words and actions. This translates to my future plans where I hope to plunge into my baptismal waters as an advocate for human dignity, solidarity, and social justice—where I can promote caring Christian relationships that encompass listening, companionship, and trust.
Any other project(s) you are working on that you wish to share? I will be serving as the Women’s Varsity Soccer Team Chaplain. As a former collegiate athlete, I look forward to combining my passions for athletics and faith at Loyola.
Now, meet Tina Cisarik. She is earning her Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) and anticipates graduating in May 2016.
Tina Cisarik
Any classes in particular you look forward to taking at IPS?
This Fall, I’m looking forward to taking “Art & Spirit: Sacred & Secular” with Linda McCrary. As my Bachelors degree is in Graphic Design, I’m very delighted to have the opportunity to explore the relationship between my two passions through the coursework and discussions provided through the class.
Tell us about your new role at LUC Campus Ministry:
As a graduate assistant in Campus Ministry on Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus, I will be assisting primarily with the “Loyola Companions” program, a peer minister-supported imitative whose mission is to build community on our campus through various faith and service leadership opportunities, including welcoming new students, offering hospitality and providing support to students within residence halls. Additionally, I will have the opportunity to gain experience in various other components of campus ministry, including retreat direction and small group faith sharing facilitation.
What are you looking forward to bringing to your new internship outside the classroom that you have learned in the classroom?
I’m excited to see what I read on paper and discuss in the classroom “come to life” in my internship. Whether through implementing new spiritual practices with students or translating theological terms into college-friendly, applicable language, I’m looking forward to seeing how I can further relate my studies to my role as a staff member at a Jesuit institution.
What are you most looking forward to accomplishing during your time here at Loyola IPS and how does that relate to your future goals?
During my time as an IPS student, I’m looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of my own, growing spirituality while learning the tools and strategies necessary in assisting others seeking more faith-filled lives. I am confident that the education provided through IPS will equip me with an array of skills and experiences that can translate into a wide variety of career and ministry options.
Patricia P. Underwood is a recent graduate of IPS and has big plans for the future! Patricia completed her degree later in life than expected, but she isn’t letting that slow her down. In fact, she is more dedicated and passionate than ever to join forces with like minded people and make lasting, positive changes in the world.
Get to know more about her passion and spirit below and feel free to contact her to continue the conversation.
What were your studies focused on at IPS? I started out in Pastoral Studies and switched to Contemporary Spirituality.
What was your favorite class and why? Truthfully, I cannot say that I had a favorite class because all of my classes were very interesting. However, I will say that my World Religions class with Dr. Heidi Russell was very informative as it gave me a look at the five world religions which I had briefly studied at Ohio Dominican for my Bachelors degree in Theology. The difference was that in Dr. Russell’s class we had to visit and interview someone from the different religions. This is where I interviewed a man from Africa who practices the Islamic religion. That interview was very enlightening as he shed some light on a lot of misconceptions about the Muslim religion that the Media tends to exploit and in turn creates fear against a very peaceful religion.
What was your greatest accomplishment while at IPS? Graduating! Seriously! After working for many years I decided at the age of 52 to return to school and finish my bachelors degree that I started in 1972. I began at Ohio Dominican University, where I got my Associate Degree in Theology, returned to ODU and went on to get my Bachelors degree in Theology, and then decided to go for the Masters of Arts at Loyola and now graduating at the age of 60. So I have been in school a total of eight years straight. Whew! So graduating with a pretty darn good grade point average has been a great accomplishment for me at this point in my life.
What was your greatest challenge at IPS and how did you overcome it? I would say that my greatest challenge was not academic, but more of a spiritual challenge. Staying true to my personal spiritual beliefs and being open to learning new religions and spiritualities. Before returning to college I was very active in the Native American spiritual traditions which included a strong belief in God and the Bible.
My undergraduate school was Catholic and Loyola is Jesuit and these two denominations were different from my spirituality at the time of my return to education. However, I was very familiar with both the Catholic and Jesuit traditions. My parents raised us in an Episcopal church and I attended a Catholic church with one grandmother and the A.M.E. Church (African Methodist Episcopal) with the other grandmother, so I have always had a variety of religions in which to observe.
The challenge as I said before was to open heartily engage in listening and learning the Catholic and Jesuit traditions in more depth than attendance of a Sunday morning service.
What are you doing post graduation? Currently, I have been accepted into the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics. I will be pursuing another Masters of Arts in Bioethics and Health Policy. Also, I would like to teach online at LUC or any other college in the field of religion, theology, or humanities classes. I would also like to pursue some writing projects, which would include my masters thesis topic of Black American Female Spirituality. I quickly learned during the research for my paper that not a lot of books or articles exists on this topic for academic purposes.
My thesis paper addresses some of the issues that Black Americans, male and female, possess about fair treatment within many areas in America, and due to the mistreatment of their ancestors many Black Americans are despondent and afraid that they will not get quality healthcare or medical treatment.
The ugly history of the Institution of American Slavery, the Tuskegee Experiment and the present day welfare system are some of the instances that has left some deeply rooted scaring on many Blacks in America that needs to be remedied and soothed. This is why I want to pursue the Bioethics degree to help change the myths and unlearned thinking of many Blacks and help them to better trust medical doctors and hospitals to give the fair treatment and medical care that they deserve.
How has your education from IPS prepared you for your new role/projects? Wow! The IPS department at LUC has prepared me to be more confident in my conversations about God, the Church, and religion. All of my classes, the ones in my direct curriculum and including the ones out of my direct curriculum such as human development, psychology, and community development, were so essential to understanding the role of a pastor as well as a lay person and the purpose of the Church.
The IPS department has some great professors who encourage out of the box thinking and teaching that allows students to get the pertinent information, process that information and use the information as needed in a mannor that can be used on a daily basis to help individuals understand the ever changing world we live in today and how to stay rooted in the words of God and HIS covenant with humankind that never goes out of style.
What are your future goals and how do you see yourself going to “set the world on fire?” My first thought to this question is the world is already on fire enough. What we need to do now is put out a few of these fires that are beginning to burn out of control. There are literally fires burning peoples homes and causing mental and emotional strife, and there are racial and gender fires burning that need to be extinguished. There is hunger and disease in the United States and world wide that needs to be addressed. The food supply in the United States is under attack as well and it is attacking our bodies, our health, and the health of our children. So you see we as Christians and as followers of Jesus Christ need to focus on helping to put out some of these fires.
I will be on fire searching for people who feel as I do, who are looking for more positive media coverage of those people who are already working to solve these burning issues. We are constantly being bombarded with the negative in the world but there are many of us who are working hourly and daily to help in all of these situations and I hope to become more active as well.
Any additional information:
I would like to add to my fellow older sisters and brothers who are considering and perhaps already working on furthering their education that the IPS department at LUC is a great place to get your graduate education.
The online degree is a great way to get your education, especially if you are working and have young children to take care of or if you are older, or if you have a medical condition or may be you are taking care of your elderly parents, or if you just don’t feel like doing the brick and mortar class room scene. You can relax at home and go to class in your pajamas if you feel like it. The classes are great! You still interact in live class discussions and even get to know your classmates to make lasting friendships and your professors are always available to meet with you and advise you and help you achieve you educational goals. If you wish to connect to Patricia Underwood, you can email her at punderwood@luc.edu.
Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.
IPS has had so much success with the Hispanic Ministry efforts of our Parish Leadership and Management Programs that we are expanding our efforts. As part of the expansion, we have been fortunate enough to hire Felipe Legarreta-Castillo, Ph.D. as the instructor for the Spanish language Bible Study program, which will add other parish ministry sites to that currently operating at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines.
Legarreta-Castillo has been a student, adjunct faculty member and most recently, a chaplain at Loyola University Chicago. As he continues his work at Loyola IPS, we ask your help in welcoming him to our IPS family as a full time faculty member.
Get to know a little more about him in the Q&A below.
Hometown: Chihuahua, Mexico
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Sports: Triathlons, Basketball, Kayaking
What is a fun fact about you?
Well, I have a pet, a bilingual non-German speaking German Shepherd called Apache who came from Mexico, and now has an identity crisis.
You know several languages (ancient and modern), which one has been the most difficult to learn?
German, I studied the language, but I still do not understand why it takes several pages to write one sentence. By the time I get to the next page, I forget what I read on the first page.
*For those curious, he knows: Biblical Hebrew and Greek, Ecclesiastical Latin, Spanish, English, Italian, French and German.
What about Loyola makes you want to continue to be a part of it?
It is a Catholic Jesuit University with the highest academic standards seeking God in all things to the service of all, especially the underprivileged. AMDG!
What are you looking forward to most about being the instructor for the Spanish Biblical Theology courses? Transforming peoples and communities through the reading, interpretation, proclamation and celebration of God’s salvation as found in the Scriptures in order to form one Community, the children God.
What previous education or experience has best prepared you for this role?
My studies at Loyola and teaching Bible here in Chicagoland and before in Mexico.
Do you have a mentor(s) or experience(s) in your life that helped shape who you are today?
God’s people, every community I have served and worked with. They have revealed to me God’s love and compassion in a humble and pristine way.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment so far (personally or professionally)?
Every accomplishment has been simply another step forward in my journey of service and love. Thus, we really never “complete” loving and serving: it is a journey until we meet our Creator, our Father, then all will be accomplished in Christ.
Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.
Catherine Conley is a graduate of IPS and has recently authored a book that explores the circumstances and questions that surround adoption, especially in regards to her own daughter. She is currently a Global Consultant on issues of organizational learning and development, but her journey as an author began at IPS.
“My writing career began during my graduate studies at Loyola University’s Institute of Pastoral Studies in Chicago. I was introduced to the Hebrew writing tradition ‘midrash’. The translation of midrash varies from ‘to investigate’, ‘to study’, ‘searching out’, and ‘a story’… The first midrash I wrote was about the story of Jesus in the desert; alone, hungry, thirsty, and tired. He was about to begin a ministry that would change the world like nothing else in human history. My midrash attempted to answer the question; Why would he choose to go to a desert, a place of suffering and death to prepare? As a young graduate student living on a vibrant, dynamic urban campus his choice mystified me.”
Consultant Exec Transitions to Story Telling Daughter’s Abandonment Inspires Story of Faith and Divinity
LAKE BLUFF, Ill. – It was late afternoon, September 18th, 2003. Catherine Conley was in her Chicago office on a conference call with her Beijing staff dealing with issues that were critical to her role running Asia operations for a global consulting firm. At the same time, the residents of Shaoyang City, China awoke to find a mysterious blue blanket on a nearby bridge. Wrapped inside was an abandoned baby girl, not even a day old. The convergence of these two events unfolded a year later, when Conley, her husband and son travelled to China and adopted this baby girl.
Engaging and thoughtful, Conley talks about how the adoption process was the beginning of a parallel career as an author. “’Where did I come from’ is a universal question that most children ask in their early years.” Conley says. “The answer to this question can be vastly more complex for adopted children”. “Coming Home: The Journey from Heaven to Your Adopted Home” (published by Balboa Press) addresses questions that Conley believes her daughter will someday ask about her birth circumstances.
Vividly illustrated by Claire Pandaleon, “Coming Home” tells the story of a journey from heaven to an adopted home. In a manner that is imaginative and profound, the book tells the story of why one child did not remain with her birth mother.
Circumspect in discussing the merging of careers – consulting executive and author – Conley says “for me, the answer to most of the challenging questions today – professionally and personally – are spiritual in nature. That means, ‘of our spirit’, ‘of our intuition’, ‘of inspiration’. There are a surprising number of executives who are ready to engage in this conversation. And, of course, some who are not. I can’t imagine it will be a conversation on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ anytime soon.”
Laughing, Conley discloses her husband is in the latter group. “My husband is grounded in proof and reason. We have a 20 year plus conversation about the intersection of the world of Spirit and the physical world. Through her book, Conley connects spirituality and divinity with a story of abandonment and mystery.
It’s easy to see how Conley is able to bridge the cultural challenges one might typically face when running a business in Asia. Conley is articulate and gracious, easily inserting nuances of theology in stories of Board Room politics with Chinese executives. Throughout her book, Conley connects spirituality and divinity with a story of abandonment and mystery.
**The proceeds from “Coming Home” will be shared among three adoption charities; Gift of Adoption, The Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center and Half the Sky.
The Gorton Center in Lake Forest, IL will be the venue for a Book Launch and Signing Party on Thursday, July 16 @ 530pm
Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.
5-18-2015|Comments Off on Coming Home – The Journey from Heaven to Your Adopted Home
At the May 2015 IPS Commissioning and Graduation Party, Staycie Flint was our wonderful student speaker. The abundance of positive feedback in regards to her address prompted us to post her speech below for those who missed it and for those who wish to read and reflect upon it again.
Please join me in a prayer I take from Ephesians. 1:18
“Open the eyes of our hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling us to embrace. Reveal to us the glorious riches You are preparing for Your beloved.”
When Father Steve invited me to speak today he put before me two goals: speak about the IPS student experience and inspire the graduates of 2015 forward into our future work.
At first I wanted to say no, and not JUST because I am terrified about public speaking.
I have been filled with sadness and great anger lately. Among those I love and within the work I do, I see the trajectory of this country and I am scared and mad and tired and not so sure I have it in me to be inspiring.
Then I thought, making myself talk would remind me of why we celebrate today and that we are in this world together. I could use some of that!
I came to IPS asking: “How do I belong to this world?” “Who am I to be in this world?”
I was fairly convinced that my enrollment in the spiritual direction track was the way to go for me. Until that one class with Anne Luther. The one where she states: “Our time together is about discerning as a spiritual community whether you are called to be a spiritual director.”
And the only question that rose up in me was, “If the unanimous community decision turns out to be that I am not called to spiritual direction will there be a tuition refund?”
Given that I am standing here today celebrating the receipt of my Masters of Divinity, and not a certificate in spiritual direction, I can tell you that an issue of a refund never became necessary. More importantly, I learned that the question of “How do I belong to this world?” is a question that has no final answer.
This is what I cherish and admire about IPS. In IPS, we find a place that strives to hear the world and respond out of who we’ve been created to be. IPS respects scholarship and acknowledges that theory is nothing without praxis. At IPS, what we think and believe is empty and without weight if it is not accompanied by action.
This union of theory and praxis necessitates that teachers and students be willing to walk in the light of truth – light that shines on truth and can be both harsh and beautiful, even at odds.
This is not so surprising to those of us who love this city of Chicago where on a Friday night we are cheering for hockey goals and weeping as another round of bullets perpetuates a slow motion massacre.
Philosophers, mystics, teachers, and prophets throughout the ages have taught us that the uniqueness of each individual is best seen in who they become, and that becoming is a continuous call and response process, not a sequence of events.
So. Today I share three brief reflections on this notion of becoming and answering how we belong to this world.
Reflection One: On Suffering and Becoming
“How do I belong to this world?” is a question deeply impacted by the suffering around us and within us.
And it is hard work.
The ongoing discovery of the answer to “How do I belong to this world?” is painful and often lonely.
For many of us, our hearts automatically snap shut at the sound of difficulties, hardships: suffering.
Drawing attention to the suffering around us and the suffering within us is risky and vulnerable business.
Some of us, particularly those who can, protect our hearts by withdrawing.
The closing of hearts is a practice familiar to people from all walks of life: the destitute; the secure; the invisible; the seen; the privileged; . . . often understandably so
Why else does suffering endure? Why else do the cries of the oppressed stir no action from all the world?
Sometimes withdrawing is all we know to do. Suffering often come to us as disruption.
Suffering tears us down
Suffering destroys us
Suffering never redeems
It devastates us.
When suffering disrupts our equanimity we can recoil.
We don’t want things to change. We want them to stay the same.
Or worse, we want things to change and things only stay the same.
We don’t want to feel such hardness of life: be it sadness or anger or fear.
We want to feel certain: full of hope, full of joy, full of peace.
One Friday night while I was working in the trauma center of the hospital that employees me, a 32 year old African-American woman was brought in after being shot in a drive by shooting.
As she was rushed into the trauma bay her heart stopped beating and the medical team began doing everything possible to bring her back from death. Her husband crumbled into my arms and wept until the medical team cleared the room and he could get to her side. Family joined us in the room and entered into a crying that Toni Morrison describes as “loud and long – with no bottom and no top, just circles and circles of sorrow.”
(If you have heard this sort of wailing, if you have sobbed this way, I am sad to remind you of it today and I ask that you stay with me as I continue to share.)
This family began to tell me about their beloved. She was an anti-violence activist. She was shot just outside her home after arriving home from an anti-gun-violence fundraiser she and her life long friend and colleague had planned for months. As this family raged and sorrowed into their long grief her friend began to weep and repeatedly say to her beloved’s family, “This is my fault. I shouldn’t have asked her to be part of this. This never would have happened had we just stayed out of it!” and the family responded with, “Don’t say that. It is not true. She needs you more than ever to keep doing this work. We need you more than ever. Please. Please. Please. Don’t. Stop.”
And I can tell you, this dear departed’s friend hasn’t stopped and the movement has grown stronger and is making a difference.
So. We have to be brave. We have to be vulnerable. Though we may need to pause, we can’t stop. We have to hear the cries of this world and how they mix with the cries of our own hearts and we have to continue to answer for ourselves “How do I belong in this world?”
There is a way IS A WAY of engaging suffering that opens us up and leads us to action.
Your work of becoming and answering “How do I belong this world?” will go forward as you find your own particular ways of embracing, RESPONDING, to the calls of suffering.
Reflection Two: On Relationships and Becoming
David Whyte writes:
“Human beings are creatures of belonging, though they may come to that sense of belonging only through long periods of exile and loneliness.”
“How do I belong to this world?” is the question we must keep finding answers to amidst the calls of relationships with our selves, each other, and our Maker.
In the face of the loneliness and exile of suffering we must attune ourselves to the Maker of Hearts whispering to us through relationships:
the hands of caregivers
the rhythm of the liturgy
the transparency of song the largess of creation the attentions of loved ones and in ways that only we can hear
The Whisperer persists in saying our becoming… my becoming…. your becoming… does not happen in isolation.
In fact, we’ve been given boundless hearts fully capable of becoming. Your relationships will open you to your unfolding.
One born into an ultimate box that was terribly void of relationship to the world around her, Helen Keller was lifted into her own becoming through relationship with her Teacher Anne Sullivan. Over time she found her own way into an abundance of relationship with the whole world and it wasn’t always accepting.
In a letter to Senator Robert La Follette, Helen Keller wrote:
“So long as I confine my activities to social service and the blind, they compliment me extravagantly, calling me ‘arch priestess of the sightless,’
‘wonder woman,’ and a ‘modern miracle.’ But when it comes to a discussion of poverty…that is a different matter! It is laudable to give aid to the handicapped. Superficial charities make smooth the way of the prosperous; but to advocate that all human beings should have leisure and comfort, the decencies and refinements of life, is a Utopian dream, and one who seriously contemplates its realization indeed must be deaf, dumb, and blind.”
See, there is a risk in becoming and living the wholeness of ourselves. It will not always be received well by others.
Dr. Audre Lorde said:
“There’s always someone asking you to underline one piece of yourself— whether it’s black, woman, mother, dyke, teacher, etc.—because that’s the piece that they need to key in to. They want to dismiss everything else.”
I highlight this resistance because I want to acknowledge that we can’t be about our becoming without claiming our relationships to our social location and how it engages the social location of those around us.
Responding with a critical self-awareness to the call of relationships that resist us and seek to limit us is as important to shaping our becoming as the response to the call of the encouraging relationships.
Hellen Keller needed for her becoming the pretentiousness and devaluing of a senator as surely she needed the support of Anne Sullivan to live into her becoming.
Martin Luther King Jr. needed the ignorance and cowardice of Bull Connor as surely he needed the inspiration and guidance of Howard Thurman to stretch fully into his becoming.
Audre Lorde insists that we need all the relationships, not just a couple, with ourselves and others in order to live into becoming.
The holding and responding to ALL the relationships in our lives are simply different expressions of the central way we belong to this world.
In truth, the work of becoming puts the whole wide world in relationship with us and us to the world.
Reflection Three: On Becoming and Belonging to Our Maker
One of the most powerful things Christianity teaches the larger world is that a tomb of darkness can give way to life unmeasurable.
And this is the hope and assurance we have.
In our becoming we are connected to a source of life that goes way beyond our earthly days.
Dr. Howard Thurman, spiritualist and mentor to Martin Luther King, frames our becoming in this way. He states:
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
When you are answering “How do I belong to this world?” don’t forget that the answer best speaks to how your Creator has made you to come alive!
Also don’t forget that your source of this life is a boundless Divine who has become all things – not just a few things, all things. As Reverend Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou of Ferguson and Baltimore reminds us,
“We have seen the face of God, and God has got tattoos on God’s face, and God sags God’s pants, and God is angry and God is queer.”
One of the few promises in life that I am comfortable making is that the Maker and Keeper of hearts gives life and sustains our becoming with a boundless heart that knows no limit.
I close by wondering what awaits you? What awaits you as you go about the continual work of answering “How do I belong to this world?”
The world calls out to us through earthquakes, hungers, and broken spines. It whispers to us through a grieving co-worker, a beloved’s bad day, and our own weariness. What will be your response?
The more we trust and practice being open to the call and response of all that surrounds us― the good, the bad, the ugly―the clearer it becomes that it is not the events of our lives that define us but rather how we belong to this world―how we respond to the calls―that defines the events of our lives.
I learned through my time here at IPS that answering “How do I belong to this world?” is found in my ongoing responses to the calls of suffering, relationship and our Maker. When I realized that my calling wasn’t clear, the response to me from the likes of Fr. Krupa, Dr. Russell, Dan Lunney, Dr.s Evelyn and Jim Whitehead, and Dr. Lysaught was, “we will help you be who you are to be in this world and we won’t ask you to be who you are not.” I trust that most of you graduating with me know something of this gift. I hope you replicate it in the world.
I remind us of Dr. Lorde and paraphrase a conversation Krista Tippet shared with Courtney Martin and Parker Palmer when I point out that we are often asked to show up in life as only “slices of ourselves.” To feel like we’re showing up as our whole selves in all the settings of our lives is a rebellious act.
So. I invite you to go forth and rebel! I invite you to take in your whole self in the presence of your Maker, be vulnerable to this ongoing work of becoming, show up with the fullness of all you can grasp and rebel. Rebel against the powers that would ask of you and the Divine’s beloved community for less.
Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.
In a beautifully crafted reflection, Brian Anderson explores the struggle of redefining peace within tense times.
His thoughts and message arose from the recent divestment issue surrounding Loyola, but hold true for a lot of issues that individuals, various groups and our country as a whole are facing today.
As the Interfaith Campus Minister for Loyola’s Campus Ministry, Brian understands that there will always be tension, but the response to such unrest should come from open minds and open discussion. Creating interfaith dialogue is essential.
Read his post below and share any thoughts or questions you may have in the comment section below.
In Tension Lies a Hidden Harmony
These past few weeks in Campus Ministry, my job has been very emotionally busy. Normally, I come to work and have a to-do list for upcoming programs and events that I’m working on with my students. However, with the issue of divestment being discussed in the Student Government Loyola Chicago (SGLC), much of my energy was focused on being present to students on both sides of the issue. They came to me with their anger, frustration, and fear. They came to me wanting a space to be heard, to be recognized and most importantly, how to find a peaceful solution to this issue.
And so I did the best I could to be an open ear and a safe space for their emotion. But what I did not do, or at least not yet, is serve as a conduit for those people to speak to one another through a constructive dialogical space. And for this, I’m frustrated and concerned.
I’m frustrated because of the many forces playing on our students’ lives that keep them from feeling that they can speak to one another without fear of harassment or attack. I’m concerned because this issue serves as another example of the lack of dialogue in our community.
Without dialogue, the humanity of the situation is lost. Tweets, blogs, news headlines, and facebook updates speak about “those people” over there as if they have no complexity or back story to their opinions and beliefs. They paint a cardboard caricature with an emoji and a half sentence.
With dialogue, one realizes that no one is ever so easily painted. We all have things in our history that complicate us and make us the beautifully flawed individuals that sit in class, eat in the dining halls, and walk across campus beside everyone else.
Therefore, how do we come to a solution within the tension? In the Campus Ministry department, for the past four years, we’ve been developing various means of engaging the community through the lens of interfaith dialogue. Our faith traditions are rich with examples of how best to live life and approach tough situations. Two examples come from our Abrahamic traditions.
In Psalm 34, verse 14, from Hebrew scripture, it states “Seek peace and pursue it.” From the Qur’an verse 49:13, we read “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.”
These statements of belief do not ignore the tension, but call upon us to seek peace because of it. Tension and conflict will never not exist. Our world is too complex, too “gritty.” Therefore, we need to start viewing peace not as the absence of tension but a space to explore tension through conversation and respect.
As I write this, I think of the piano that I received from my grandmother. Musical instruments like pianos and guitars will only make beautiful music if they have tension in their strings. The vibrations from those strings when struck by something new and foreign brings that music to life.
As we enter into the summer break, I am going to take the time to reflect upon how to live in tension that doesn’t break me and my community, but instead creates a sound that brings harmony and peace to all those living within it.
Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.
4-30-2015|Comments Off on Guest Blog: In Tension Lies a Hidden Harmony
