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Washington Institute Partnerships
A year ago, Katherine Leary, Gideon Strauss, and I walked several miles through Manhattan on a cold January evening, off for dinner together. We talked, and talked, and talked.
And now a year later, we are on the verge of a partnership, having decided that while our cities—New York, Toronto, and Washington –are very different, and our organizations are very different—The Work Research Foundation, The Center for Faith and Work (founded by Redeemer Presbyterian Church), and The Washington Institute –we are at the same time drawn together by deeply-held common commitments.
In their own ways, the Foundation and the Center are creatively taking up the same question which is the heart of our mission, viz. what does life look like at the nexus of faith and vocation and culture? Principally we will begin as co-publishers of Comment, the magazine of the Work Research Foundation. A wonderfully-imagined journal, issue by issue it explores the range of human activity, drawing upon thoughtful, gifted writers who are people living their own vocations in the push-and-shove of life. Comment also offers itself online, with weekly updates giving one more window into life in the now-but-not-yet of God’s world. We have copies of the issue focused on the theme, “Making the Most of College,” and would be glad to send one out for your reading pleasure. Let us know.
For more information, follow these links: http://www.wrf.ca/comment/index.cfm and http://www.faithandwork.org/
Another of our first collaborations is a conference at Princeton University later this month, “Faith Beyond Sunday.” See our website for more information. All three organizations will be present, and participating in the program.
We are just stepping into this vision of common work, and God alone knows where it will take us. Our boards have carefully deliberated, and have gladly commended its potential.
Ideas do have legs, we are sure of that. In fact I first heard those words in a speech that Al Wolters gave to the Work Research Foundation a generation ago. His book, Creation Regained, has become required reading within each of our organizations, with unusual richness setting forth the biblical vision of life lived towards the end of the kingdom coming, of God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven. We will pray and work together towards that end. I for one am glad for the institutional companionship.
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