I am a convert to the Catholic faith, and soon after my baptism I felt called to leave my career in finance to pursue social work as a vocation. As I have grown in both faith and practice, I have encountered genuine tensions, particularly regarding abortion and LGBTQ-related issues. My desire is not to challenge the Church’s teachings but to understand them more deeply and live them faithfully while serving my clients with compassion. I previously sought guidance and was advised to leave social work if I experienced such tension. Although I respected the advice, I remained convinced that this vocation arose from my conversion. I continue seeking a faithful way to navigate these tensions.
Joey says
Dear Kath,
I gather from your question that you are someone who desires to follow God and live out your faith meaningfully. That’s fantastic! But living faithfully in a broken world always entails navigating tensions. You didn’t specify what sort of tensions you face, so I can’t give you specific advice. Instead, I’ll suggest some things to consider.
One key consideration is whether your work requires your active involvement or tacit agreement with actions that are at odds with the Church’s position. As Christians, we begin from the understanding that God’s good and beautiful will is for humanity to have life to the full, and the boundaries (the do’s and don’ts) that he sets for us are to enable humans to have that full life. God’s laws are meant to be “full-life”-giving. To actively participate in the actions that are contrary to God’s laws is to participate in what is life-negating. The Church’s position is based on God’s expressed will in the Bible.
Another consideration is that we are in the world but not of the world. Both being in the world and being not of the world are important in living out our faith. Although we do not ourselves perform or condone ungodly acts, we will interact with people who do what is contrary to God’s good will. They may turn to you for support. What I find helpful in such situations is to remember that I can accept people without agreeing with their choices; I can disagree with their decision but still have compassion and choose to love them. God calls us to live amongst people with values different from ours so that we can be salt and light, and lovingly point them towards God.
Yet another consideration is whether you are called to social work or called to social work to a specific group of people or with a specific organisation. If it’s the former, and your current organisation is indeed incompatible with your faith, perhaps you can consider other organisations where you can serve out your vocation.
It is best to discern what navigating these tensions faithfully as a Christian looks like with the help of a trusted guide. A good spiritual director* would be able to help you discern how God is leading you, and I believe that will give you greater clarity and confidence to serve God. (*For our Protestant readers, there are also Protestant spiritual directors you can seek out.)
