Faith and Learning at Baylor
I wholeheartedly love this work I get to do and have been interested in faith and mental health since childhood. Having attended Catholic schools most of my life, I was fortunate to experience several faith-infused educational environments. However, something shifted upon joining Baylor and engaging with the Institute for Faith and Learning (IFL) through Missio, monthly interdisciplinary meetings on leadership, and most importantly, Communio.
In May 2015 (and 2023), I had the joy of attending this retreat and met two of my closest friends on campus, listened to Darin [Davis]’s passion for Baylor and IFL, Burt Burleson’s contemplative prayers, and David Smith’s care for cultivating connection and empathy in the classroom. Despite all attendees being “experts” in our disciplines, there was a tender presence of humility that was palpable. This sacred space planted interdisciplinary seeds of transformation that have not only continued to grow with colleagues I met (including near-monthly breakfasts over the last decade with those two friends mentioned earlier) and approaches to teaching/research, but have expanded to my leadership role as the Garland School of Social Work’s Associate Dean for Research. For example, GSSW now offers annual research writing retreats for faculty to contemplate the intersection of faith and research while writing, resting, and connecting over meals, mirroring some of Communio’s structure. Further, recognizing the importance of faculty well-being, I regularly elevate attention to holistic self-care in my monthly ADR newsletters, mindful that we cannot draw from an empty well and are worth the care we extend to those we serve. Finally, Communio’s morning lessons and colleagues’ reflections continue to inspire me to creatively teach content infused with care for our students as whole people, made in the image of God.
I’m grateful for all that IFL offers our Baylor community, including so many opportunities to learn from and grow alongside one another. This month, my invitation for colleagues across campus would be to reflect upon this idea that we cannot offer transformational education if we are unwilling to be transformed ourselves. In what ways can a contemplative posture that infuses surrender, humility, and love shape our approaches to teaching, research, and service in our efforts to live out Baylor’s mission through the transformational work that is uniquely ours to do?