Spirituality and Work:
No Common Language

by Brandon Jubar

When you spend countless hours with the same group of people, some type of community or social order is bound to form. In the United States today, many of us spend more waking hours with our coworkers than we spend with our families. The secular workplace has become our primary community. As Christians, we need to ask ourselves if we are willing to check our souls at the door and spend most of our days within a community devoid of spirituality; or if we should look for ways to incorporate spirituality and work.

Spirituality Is Not Confined To Religion

For years, management gurus have been preaching the gospel of teamwork, cooperation, recognition and empowerment. If we agree with these masters of business practices -- that our work communities should be infused with positive values and high moral and ethical standards -- then why stop just shy of spirituality?

Unfortunately, "spirituality" is almost always associated with religion and religious beliefs. But spirituality is definitely different than religion. One way to think of spirituality is that it's our exploration and understanding of that which we have faith in. Most often, what people have faith in is a higher power, creator or God. However, one can have faith in humanity or in the forces of nature. Whatever it is that one has faith in, spirituality is a combination of lived experiences related to the object of our faith and reflection on those experiences.

Spirituality Creates A Language Barrier

Obviously, if we want to infuse our work communities with spirituality, there will be tremendous obstacles to overcome. One of the most difficult may end up being a "language barrier" caused by our limited understanding of what spirituality means. In the U.S., there is an almost manic need to confine religion to the church property. "Separation of church and state" is a mantra that has taken a straight-forward idea (no state-funded religion) and turned it into an almost oppressive reality. Anything that smacks of religion is barely tolerated in the workplace because religious expression is almost as taboo as sexual harassment.

But if the workplace (and our coworkers) can get beyond the notion that spirituality is confined to religion, then we have another language barrier. How do we talk about spirituality without religious terms and terminology? Is there a common language of spirituality that is ecumenical, cutting across all beliefs and faiths?

No Easy Answers

In order to begin turning work communities into spiritual communities, we have to first be armed with a common language that is inclusive and all-encompassing. We need to be able to carry on a dialog that touches on aspects of our souls without causing a defensive reaction in others. It won't be easy, by any means, but it's an obstacle that must be overcome in order to begin turning our work communities into healthy, life-affirming places instead of the soulless places of toil that they often are today.

Life Applications:

What is your understanding of "spirituality"? How would you define it?
How would you describe your work community in terms of spirituality?
How would you talk about spirituality with your coworkers?

Copyright 2006 by Brandon Jubar
All rights reserved.