Bill Glenn, a retired therapist and author, spent 18 years preparing to be a Jesuit priest before he realized he was being called to something else. “I knew my work was elsewhere,” he says, although he had no idea what it was.
Two years later, the AIDS epidemic hit. “It was as if I’d been called out of the Jesuits to be present to this epidemic,” he said. Attending to the pain of these men and women was the work he was trained to do. This is the journey he writes about in his memoir I Came Here Seeking a Person: One Gay Man’s Spiritual Journey.
A question that comes up often when talking to guests on the podcast is “How did you get started?” “What prompted you to take action?” In this powerful conversation Bill Glenn challenges us to attend to the pain around us. “Pain is all around us,” he says. And each of us is called to bear witness to that pain. To be present to those in need. That is at the heart of making a difference.
As you listen to this episode, consider:
In the interview, Bill talks about learning to listen to our intuition. —a knowing deep inside each of us. How can you listen to your own intuition to better understand where you can be of service?
Each of us is drawn to different causes. What are the issues that where you are called to attend?
Action helps heal pain. As you notice to the pain in the world around you, what is one thing you can do to respond?
To learn more about Bill or to get a copy of his book, check out his website.
You can listen to Bill’s episode here.