Especially for a Divinity School, his point is that it marks a fundamental departure from the spirituality and community that made the school special at some point.
What struck me about his letter was not only that specifically about the death of his mother, but he also referenced the death of his colleague's mother, Dr. Cooke-Rivers, received no public condolences.
Whether that is Spiritual Bankruptcy, or merely Indifference, I know not, but it definitely reflects a culture problem of sorts.
The best workplaces do not involve parking your humanity or caring at the door.
What does it mean to send condolences to a colleague when you don't know much about their mother? That carries the intimacy of sending someone a life event message because FB told you so.
I really don't see that as "spiritually bankrupt".
It has nothing to do with the mother. You would be sending condolences to him. If it's about his loss. Presumably his colleagues know something about him.
I mean, I got more than two condolences from my team when I mentioned that my cat was sick, and I think my team is smaller than the Harvard Divinity School.
Spiritually bankrupt? Not sure. It’s not great though.
It means “I recognize your humanity, and we all feel bad at times. It’s ok to grieve. I hope you feel better soon.” That’s what I hope it means when I send condolences to coworkers.
Whether that is Spiritual Bankruptcy, or merely Indifference, I know not, but it definitely reflects a culture problem of sorts.
The best workplaces do not involve parking your humanity or caring at the door.