We who have enough to give to others are not so special.

We are not special. We only give from the periphery of all we have. If we seek to serve the Divine then we must help or do something for others. You are lucky that the Divine has provided something that you can give to others. Rabbi Klein responded that Jews must keep our covenant. Tikkun Olam. My responsibility to God is to repair the world. For Sikhs, care for what we are calling “the other” is care for ourselves. Otherness is an artificial construct. Dr. Hibbard adds that the ancients did not see a sharp distinction between me and you. It is a misunderstanding that there could be a separation between personal and social responsibility. Our panelists ask: Does sanctifying oneself have a too otherworldly aspect or does sanctification require taking care of this world and all of creation – humans and all that is other than human?

The Sacred text of Sikhs begins with the idea that there is one creative force that is the sound of all of creation. That Creative Force is what is! Everything is part of that Oneness. There is no “other.” Listen as Raman Singh presents a religious way of thinking about caring that starts in a different place. If all of creation is one, then what? If there is no other, then what about Caring for the other, for the stranger? Raman Singh starts out this podcast by causing us to reconsider - possibly think in a profoundly different way - about who is the “other.”

Listen in as Bob Bruttell hosts the InterFaith Leadership Council’s Faith & Works podcast. Episode 22, Care for Others: Charity or Commandment?

Our newest series, “Care for Others", on what our faith traditions of caring for others and how we are to treat others.

Join in with our experts as they discuss is it Charity or Commandment when we care for others.

We welcome your comments at faithandworkspodcast@gmail.com

Panelists and Moderator

✧Bob Bruttell (Moderator) – Adjunct Prof., Religious Studies & History at University of Detroit Mercy

✧J. Todd Hibbard, – PhD-Professor & Chair, Dept. of Religious Studies at University of Detroit Mercy

✧Raman Singh – Executive Director, InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit

✧Rabbi Joe Klein – Adjunct Faculty Member, Religious Studies at Oakland University and Rochester Christian University.

This is the full episode, look for the 4 parts of the episode dropping soon!

Music by BenSound.com

In our final part of our 4 part series of Episode 20: Women in Ministerial Leadership, it's discussed:

What does biology and medicine have to do with these women’s ministerial leadership? Or How does a calling to heal bodies result in a calling to heal body and spirit?

We hear the personal stories of women who wanted to be doctors and found serving and caring for people in ministry to satisfy their calling.

The observation is made that with more women there would have been less rigidity, more flexibility. Feminist, Womanist and Liberation Theology bring a critique, but they also bring hope. Lost has been a respect for women’s voices and the power they bring to the public square.

Do women have a particularly explicit role in ministry and, if so, how does that impact those you serve? Or can boys be Rabbis too?

In Part 2 we hear about that special role that is not the same as the male role. Bible stories will be interpreted differently and given different emphasis. From a woman’s point of view Miriam, for instance, will be seen as the pivotal matriarch that men likely miss. Women in ministerial leadership can prompt the question: “Can boys be rabbis too?”

How do you center yourselves as women around the idea of sacredness?

We are invited to see the spirit of God as we would understand it while at sea in a kayak. There is the “Awe” of seeing the wonders of the created world. There is the sense of the gifts that give the kayaker “Agency” to give that kayak direction and move it forward. But then there is, lastly, “Acceptance.” Water will out. God will out! We also hear that Jews see a world where everything is sacred and to be blessed. And we learn that women bring everyone around the table to that blessing .

How do you center yourselves around the idea of sacredness?
We are invited to see the spirit of God as we would understand it while at sea in a kayak. There is the “Awe” of seeing the wonders of the created world. There is the sense of the gifts that give the kayaker “Agency” to give that kayak direction and move it forward. But then there is, lastly, “Acceptance.” Water will out. God will out! We also hear that Jews see a world where everything is sacred and to be blessed. And we learn that women bring everyone around the table to that blessing .