by Susan Fotovich McCabe
Special to The Leaven
The thought of returning to the office as states and counties lift pandemic restrictions makes me a little uneasy. How crowded will the elevator be? Has everyone been vaccinated? Will I have to go through temperature checks each day?
Have faith, I tell myself.
Apart from pandemic concerns, however, it appears there are other reasons to bring faith into the workplace. Dave Geenens, author of “Truth and the Transcendent Business: Heresy or Prophesy?” says faith in the workplace is a key ingredient for keeping our moral compass in working order. Geenens is an associate professor in the School of Business at Benedictine College in Atchison.
The Catholic Church believes that the value of any economic system rests on the personal virtue of the individuals practicing therein, said Geenens.
There’s probably some truth to that since I, like many people, prefer to do business with companies that treat their employees and customers with respect. We all tend to favor businesses that act in accordance with the tenets of Christian faith. Unfortunately, we have been taught to compartmentalize our Christian faith and work.
In business, Geenens tells us, some will argue that exhorting our faith is a hot-button topic given the laws against discrimination in employment practices. But, he says, try to find a law that says it’s illegal to be held accountable for your faith at work. There is none.
In Greenens’ classroom, educating men and women in a community of faith and scholarship is what Benedictine College is all about. It’s his primary role. And his textbook is the Catholic faith. Ironically, while Geenens has been in business for 35-plus years, he only recently converted to the Catholic faith three years ago.
Bendictine College teaches technical competencies as any school of business does, but it also teaches the virtues and expects students to practice those now and in the future. The thinking is simple: when business leaders practice virtues at work, they not only yield better and more competitive business results through enhanced cooperation, they protect liberty, fuel a well-functioning free market and promote justice and the pursuit of happiness for all.
Food for thought from this educator, author and member of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa (with wife Terry).
