Yesterday I received phone calls from two of my mentors in Seminary...both checking in on me in ways that felt more pastoral than professorial.
Earlier this week, I was visited by my Badass Nun Spiritual Director (BNSD) while in the hospital...also a professor from Seminary - she gave me the Prayer of Jesus in the Garden.
Amidst these visits, I learned that the faculty was holding me in prayer.
Being the recipient of such love and caring from the institution that is forming me for ministry left me with an important new awareness this morning ... and I wanted to share....
When possessing authority or power over others as a teacher, professor, pastor, mentor, adviser, etc....never underestimate the power of that position. Maintain awareness of how you are viewed through the eyes of others and work to level the disparity rather than reinforce it. This requires humility and a bedrock of authentic confidence rather than arrogance masking insecurity.
Furthermore, when others look up to you, never underestimate how much a simple phone call, card, or in person visit can quite literally change a person's life by cultivating a sense of value and LOVE in a time of need. I have been on both sides of this...and it's an essential lesson especially in a time when text and email can create a false sense of human interaction.
When possessing authority or power over others as a teacher, professor, pastor, mentor, adviser, etc....never underestimate the power of that position. Maintain awareness of how you are viewed through the eyes of others and work to level the disparity rather than reinforce it. This requires humility and a bedrock of authentic confidence rather than arrogance masking insecurity.
Furthermore, when others look up to you, never underestimate how much a simple phone call, card, or in person visit can quite literally change a person's life by cultivating a sense of value and LOVE in a time of need. I have been on both sides of this...and it's an essential lesson especially in a time when text and email can create a false sense of human interaction.
Maintaining our humanity amidst power structures that aim to dehumanize and elevate some over others...totally badass.
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