By: Noah Bloch
Do you know what your calling is?
If you do, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore might make you rethink exactly how you picture it.
Miller-McLemore spoke Wednesday at Concordia’s annual Symposium and argued that we should take a step back and reexamine our purpose in life.
Miller-McLemore is the author of a book on calling and vocation, titled “ Follow Your Bliss and Other Lies about Calling,” where she challenges popular ideas surrounding vocation and calling.
“Calling is much more complicated, open-ended, and amazing than finding that one perfect job or thing to do with your life,” said Miller-McLemore.
According to her, your feeling of purpose is not strictly innate, it’s influenced by your surroundings – your family, friends, political and economic environment. Your calling can also change over time.
“Some people even reduce calling to a personal decision, when in reality all of our callings are shaped and even determined by forces outside ourselves,” she said.
She also says that following your calling will not always be easy.
“I heard someone talking honestly about calling. They described them as a source of meaning, identity, significance, but also unbending duty, sacrifice, vigilance,” she said. “But also, I realized things they didn’t mention, like loss, regret, frustration, failure.”
According to Miller-McLemore, in order to follow your calling you need to do two things, as well as accept that following a calling will also come with discomfort, like the pain of having to give up another version of your life, what she calls “missed callings.”
What are those two things?
“Following a calling requires discerning your talents, what you’re good at, what Christians call God-given gifts, and perhaps most important, and even more demanding, finding your ways that your desires and gifts may serve a greater good,” said Miller-McLemore.
While she references Christianity, Miller-McLemore says the contents of her book are for a broader audience than just those who believe in God.
Maggie Brown, a Concordia student who was on the Symposium planning committee, introduced McLemore before she spoke.
Brown said that the planning for the Symposium started a year ago, and the committee aimed to provide students with less lecture and more chances for students to feel involved.
“This morning we had a campus prayer walk that had 120 students at it, and they walked through campus and prayed from all different religious backgrounds,” said Brown.
Additionally, Brown says the topic this year was more general and broad than previous years so that all students could personally relate with the theme.
“This year, our big emphasis was on interactivity and students learning about themselves,” said Brown.
Miller-McLemore ended her speech by emphasizing the double-edged nature of finding a purpose in life. “Calling involves, yes, finding your passion and your bliss, but also challenging and possible sacrifices.”
