Having worked in the South for a number of years I have come to the conclusion that religion is, well, . . . . , like a religion down here.  I suppose growing up in the Northeast and living in California did not prepare me for the pervasiveness of Christianity in the South.   Prior to coming to the South, I would have thought that my spirituality would be a purely private matter – alas, it comes up at work quite frequently.

It is not uncommon for “Grace” to be said at formal and even some informal corporate dinners. The meal might begin with the following:

“Everyone, please bow your head.  Heavenly Father, please bless this food we are about to eat.  And please protect everyone who is here in Jesus Christ’s name.  And we are thankful to Christ Our Lord for providing for us.  Bless Christ who died for our sins.  Amen.”

Many who are deeply religious will read the above and honestly ask: “and your point is?”  Those that are not religious or not Christian will say “Whoa – that didn’t really sound non-denominational.”    And there is the rub – telling someone who is deeply religious that you are opposed to saying grace can be deeply offensive; to someone who is not Christian, by the second time the name Christ is used, they are offended.  But we have to ask, is the solution to abandon a ritual that is very important to many people to avoid offending the few?

There are many times that I think the answer is “absolutely – I come to work to work, not to be converted.”   But then again, can there be a happy medium?  Let me suggest the following “prayer” that should satisfy everyone involved:

“Could I have everyone’s attention please – I would like to say a few words before we begin the meal.  We have gathered to celebrate the connection we all have with each other both professionally and personally.  Let us take this moment to reflect upon those we have lost, those we cherish, and that which is important to us in our daily lives.  Let us be thankful for each others company and the meal which we are about to enjoy.  Let us wish for a healthy, safe and prosperous future.  Please take a moment of silence for whatever personal reflections or thoughts you may have . . . . . .  .. . . . . amen.”

Those that read the above and say “sounds good to me” are probably already in tune with the fact that we have a responsibility to respect diversity even in an environment that has very little diversity.  I can only hope that those who see no need for the diversity will humor the idea long enough to consider it or provide an alternative.

Alas, I shared the above “blessing” with a rather religious colleague and his reaction was “that is not a blessing – the whole purpose of the blessing is WHO we thank, not how we thank him.”  I guess this is an issue that is best resolved by keeping religion out of the workplace.