By John Soukup
Development Officer, Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska
Many of us might feel pressure in our non-church settings to come across as religiously neutral. During conversations among work colleagues about the weekend, for instance, we might sidestep mentioning activities such as Mass attendance, catechism classes, or being at a first Communion. However, when “Catholic” is in the name of the place where you work, sometimes you just have to be bold.
I spent nearly a year meeting once a month with a group of people enrolled in Leadership Lincoln, a group of people from diverse backgrounds and businesses. We had the opportunity to go “behind the scenes” to meet with Lincoln’s business, health, education, government, and nonprofit organizations. I have been honored to represent Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska (CSS), as a community partner.
It has been my mission since I came on board with CSS to get out in the public and let people know just who CSS is, and how we’re making a difference in the community. So many people have heard of us but are not aware of what we do and our mission to inspire hope and love in every encounter, including serving every client who comes to us in need with dignity and respect.
Before our last Leadership Lincoln meeting, we were issued a challenge: “Bring an item that has significant meaning to you, but that you are willing to give away. Not an item with monetary value, but rather an item that carries meaning to you as a person. The importance of the item is the way in which it expresses/symbolizes a piece of your personal story/journey. Please be prepared to tell the story of what the item represents to you.”
I was at a loss as to what that item might be. How about a microphone? I was in radio, and I emcee at a lot of events, but I couldn’t afford to give a microphone away. When I shared my frustration with my wife, she just rolled her eyes (not the first time she’s rolled her eyes at me), and then wisely reminded me that I have been working professionally for the Church in various ways for the past 15 years, and faith is important to me, so why not share the Cross of Christ?
There was the answer! But now I would have to be bold enough to talk about my faith in front of a largely secular group.
At our meeting, I was a little nervous setting a small crucifix on the table with the mainly non-religious objects people had brought. A mug with a positive saying on it, a doll, and a medal were among the things on the table. Our group never really talked about faith during our time together, and how would this group react? Talking about who CSS is one thing; talking about faith is another.
One at a time, people were asked to go up to the table, pick an item and whoever’s it was, that person had to tell the meaning behind why they brought it. No one picked up the crucifix until near the end of this exercise, and then I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts (which I wrote down ahead of time, just to ease my own nerves).
“This cross reminds me to not be afraid when faced with challenges and problems in my life; this cross has brought me back on the right path, after I’ve wandered off and gotten myself into trouble; this cross reminds me of the gifts I’ve been given by Him.
“While we didn’t talk much about faith in Leadership Lincoln, it is an important part of the fabric of our community. I was reminded of that when, as a group, we visited a place where Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held. The 12 steps to recovery were listed prominently on the wall, and God is mentioned quite often in those steps. That just reminded me that no matter what our circumstances, we can’t navigate this thing they call life alone. We need God! Thank you for being a part of my journey.”
A couple of people came up to me after the meeting, saying either they wished they would have done something like what I did, or were glad that I talked about faith and that little crucifix.
As author Matthew Kelly tells us, we need to be bold Catholics. You never know what impact your words and actions might have on someone who needed to hear those words or see those actions. And as we say at CSS, it’s all about bringing hope in the good life.
