Sharing our whole selves

Last Friday, the GTS Faculty met. At the beginning of the Faculty meeting, there was a "check in". Suddenly, children, spouses, and Christmas were to the fore. The burning of hair (long story) was prominent, interesting, and yes, funny. Seeing the whole person was a gift.

Yesterday, the VTS Faculty met. Right at the beginning, we welcomed back those who had been away in the Fall (and this proved very moving). And then we did an exercise where people were invited to go into cohorts (new faculty, mid-career faculty, and those nearing retirement faculty). Again, faculty shared their whole selves. It was a gift.

Too often, we just see the colleague. On occasions like this, we went behind the colleague and found the spouse, the parent, the sibling, and the child. Our work is just one part; there is much that lies behind.

The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean of Virginia Theological Seminary and President of General Theological Seminary