1st full day of Training...

This bench is located at West Point Military Academy close to Trophy Point. (That is all I can say without being snarkily sarcastic.)

Today my day began with a keynote by Dr. C. Melissa Snarr from Vanderbilt University.

As she was a very good presenter the main point of her message was simple:
"Social compassion is more important that efficiency." WOW! What a great inclusive understanding of what catholics are called to invest their lives in. This concept is so disconnected from our cultural understandings of productivity. So much in our society is based upon numbers, and the efficiency of factory production (whether it is a meat packing plant or a toy production company). This understanding of compassion calls into question very specifically our own interpretations of compassion. Is it compassionate for people of a certain faith persuasion? (As I am Roman Catholic woman, I generally approach and speak specifically from this tradition's perspective.) Dr. Snarr went on to say that with social compassion comes an understanding of the call to responsibility. There is an implicit-ingrained understanding that we as HUMANS have a moral obligation and responsibility to be compassionate to one another. It is not compassionate to engage in wage theft. It is not compassionate to be promoting a work schedule that does not embody the guidelines and regulations set up by the Department of Labor.

One aspect of this training that continues to call my own naivete into question is that these abuses take place in restaurants, and school/university cafeterias. These awareness call into question the practices at St. John's University. As I currently don't know who is providing the food services there, I cannot rightfully speak about any injustice. However, be certain that I will be finding this information out, and additionally noting who is providing these services at the University.

There is one member of those who are participating in the training who is agnostic, and that has continued to challenge my understanding of "Interfaith". Interestingly enough he will be leading our morning reflection tomorrow. I had several conversations with this man today, and would say that he embodies compassion, but I wonder, as he is from central Iowa, how does he encounter compassion?

How do you encounter compassion in your daily life? With others?