#SacredHeartQuaker

Four years ago I wrote in my cover letter about how well the Goals of Sacred Heart Education (faith, intellect, service, community, growth) align with my own personal values. Since then my love for Sacred Heart spirituality has only grown, as I have learned that the core of the Sacred Heart mission is to bring more love to the world and as every Sacred Heart nun I have met I has embodied that commitment. In the last couple years, I've even become a Sacred Heart Associate, a lay member of the Sacred Heart community. But if I'm really honest with myself, my commitment was more head than heart - even as I introduced myself to my small group at the beginning of the Sacred Heart Spirituality Forum this week, I explained that what I love about Sacred Heart spirituality is its ability to ARTICULATE the commitment to love that is central to my spirituality. Through the forum, though, Sacred Heart spirituality moved from my head to my heart. It is a way of life, and I am deeply proud to be counted among its adherents.

Widening the circle of compassion

While in Zanzibar, our group had a passionate debate that began when I said that I didn't believe in "bad people." I believe that once we start labeling people as bad, we stop seeing their humanity. In the past 24 hours I've now read two articles that affirm lack of labels. The articles come from two communities that I love and that often cannot understand my love for the other: the activist community (http://www.catalystwedco.com/blog/2017/7/10/kin-aesthetics-excommunicate-me-from-the-church-of-social-justice) and the faith community (https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2017/07/13/italian-jesuit-journal-calls-out-ecumenism-hate-between-some-evangelicals-and). What a good reminder of how much more effective we our when we widen our circle of compassion!

Current Queries

I'm at a spirituality forum this week and though I haven't come away with any firm answers yet, I am keeping a running list of queries that arise for me as I take it all in. So a peak into my mind right now would reveal:

• How does a school embrace diversity of beliefs and ideas as a gift?
• What am I proud to do consistently? What would I like to do more consistently in line with my values?
• Where in my life am I compromising? Why? Are my compromises rooted in fear or love?
• How does one hold the tension between one's power and one's vulnerability?
• How am I making space in my life to hear my call? How am I intentionally balancing mind, body, and spirit? 
• What does it mean to me to rest in the heart of God?
• What does it mean to me to be radical?

These are just the kind of questions I need on the heels of my trip to Rwanda. Meaningful work here is easing my transition back to the US!