jeudi, mai 07, 2009

Public and private

I was a little flip with the DQ's drama teacher. I had once had aspirations to going on the wicked stage as an adolescent, I said to her. But I became a minister and journalist instead.

"It's all about performance" I said smugly. Of course, acting isn't "all about performance" any more than journalism is -- and ordination is supposed to be a calling, isn't it? I think we all have a calling -- or maybe that they change as we transition from one place in our pilgrimage to another. Putting clergy in that artifically high place only means that when we/they fall, we/they fall from a higher place. And sometimes a call has nothing to do with work -- it might be a vocation to being a parent, or a niece, or one who serves.

But sometimes it IS all about performance, Fr. Cutie in Florida being a case in point. As with many clergy who end up compromised, his public persona was one thing -- and his private behavior another. It's probably no accident he got caught. Rare the man or woman who can juggle two personalities for a long time without the stress becoming too much.

2 commentaires:

Sue a dit…

Oh, how THIS one hits home ... !

Speaking of a "change" in calling, Don lost his job a while aback. Talk about being in limbo between "clergy world" and "secular world" ... but he's doing OK. Has a 2nd interview in NYC next week so we'll see how it all plays out ...

So much comes to mind with this post, so many experiences ... very interesting.

Wallacewriter a dit…

Sue, I'm sorry about Don. You guys have had such a tough time -- but you are very resilient. I admire you! Let me know about the job!