Passover Welcome

Passover Welcome

Daniel Martin

Spring is taking longer to show up. Somebody said that they are going to take groundhogs to the court. (ja ja!)

Welcome to the online format of Workplace Wisdom. I am so happy to be with you after a pause while we were rethinking this publication. Thanks to all of you who signed up for the email format. It gives you the additional benefit of being able to reply with questions, suggestions, or to engage in a debate.

Passover is a special time for celebration for Jews and Christians. Jews celebrate their nation’s biggest liberation event. Around 1450 BC, Jews were slaves in Egypt and experienced a miraculous liberation guided by an important hero called Moses who took them to Canaan, the Promised Land, which later was called Israel. The word “Pass-over” comes from the phenomena they experienced in Egypt when the plague of death “past-over” their houses and their children were spared while every other household suffered death. This was the last of ten plagues. It confused Pharaoh and he let all the slaves depart from Egypt with their families, animals and provisions. They were able to cross the Red Sea miraculously and wander through the desert until they arrived at the Promised Land. This is called the Exodus. The second book of the Bible has that name.

When Jews commemorate this foundational historical event, they have a special meal which symbolizes the different aspects of this event. It helps them remember that God had a purpose in mind with His people. It helps to see life, and the future, with hope and purpose.

Christians celebrate pass-over with a new meaning. Jesus celebrated the Jewish pass-over before he was arrested and he gave the meal a refreshing meaning, including the remembrance of his own death that was about to happen.

When celebrating Pass-over, Christians remember Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection, witnessed by more than 500 ocular witnesses and registered in writings to posterity by 4 of them. Jesus’ resurrection is central to the Christian faith. An empty tomb reminds us that we celebrate the victory of life over death. Popular culture includes symbols of life like eggs (which are a promise of a new life), or rabbits (which are known to reproduce life very quickly).   

Like the Jewish Pass-over, Christians also celebrate a liberation event: “Liberation from Sin”. Jesus’ death is a payment for our debt with God. Because of Him, transformation is possible. We can be forgiven and reconciled with God. If we really repent, we don’t need to carry the burden of guilt or continue with a destructive behavior all of our life. We are able to decide a good path for our life. We can see life and the future with hope. We can experience God’s love for us and through us. We can find meaning and purpose in life.

Passover should remind us of the One who loves us more than anybody else. He was ready to die so that we could experience real life.

Passover should remind us of the possibility of change, renewal and victory. If death couldn’t stop Jesus, His power can help us overcome any difficulties in life.

Passover should remind us that Jesus is alive and that he came to give us real life. Sin brings death to our life. We should resurrect from sin and experience an abundant life.

Passover should remind us that Jesus paid to enable us to have good relationships: with God, with ourselves and with others.

Open your heart to God and accept all these gifts He brings to you today. 

Happy Passover!

I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun, not because I can see it, but by it I can see everything else. CSLewis

Do what God has put in your heart and trust Him to take care of your critics. Joel Osteen ‏

“Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.” ― St. Augustine

Daniel Martin

danielmartinusa@hotmail.com

http://workplacewis.blogspot.com/

Special Edition Workplace Wisdom

By Daniel Martin

I am running a free and independent biweekly publication called “Workplace Wisdom” since 02/24/2011. It grew from a few copies I shared with my closest friends at Bioreference Labs to 190 copies that now are distributed  among friends at Bioreference Labs and other companies.

This publication is intended for people like myself, dealing with everyday issues in life, especially at work. 

It covers topics like:

·   Tips to handle stress.

·   Dealing with anxiety.

·   Building a Healthy environment at work.

·   How to encourage healthy relationships.

·   The importance of humor.

·   Recovering from life's disasters.

·   Positive attitude at work.

·   Believe in yourself.

·   Defeating discouragement.

·   Defusing anger.

·   Honesty.

·   Spirituality.

·   Managing time.

·   Preventing emotional burnout.

·   Facing failure.

·   Bouncing back from storm Sandy (resilience).

·   Releasing your full potential.

·   Living within your income.

You can find many editions at http://workplacewis.blogspot.com/

What about the readers?

I am proud to have the support of readers from different cultural backgrounds, races, and religions, which are represented at Bioreference Labs. I receive positive feedback from them.

Growth, improvement of relationships, strength to overcome disappointments in life, and encouragement, is what this publication means to them. Their input helps me to keep going.

Some readers share this publication with their families or discuss it with friends. I feel that I am doing a contribution to my friends and the multicultural environment we experience at work at Bioreference Labs. I have the support of many department supervisors. I always respect and adjust myself to the suggestions and restrictions they give me about this publication.

At Bioreference, we are a living demonstration that it is possible to live in harmony with people from very different backgrounds. 

We are able to interact and talk freely about culture, religion, and even politics, in a respectful way, without being rude or offensive to people who think differently. That’s how we can grow and benefit from our diversity.

I am happy to say that at Bioreference we feel like a big family in which we can support each other and build long lasting relationships. But discrimination of religion and censorship of the opinion doesn’t serve this purpose.

I experienced freedom of opinion at Bioreference since I started working here. I see people from different cultures and religions decorating their workplace and learning about the different traditions and cultures of their colleagues. I celebrate that freedom. It doesn’t hurt anybody. It enriches us. It opens our minds.

Stopping now?

 On January 9th, 2013, the administration of Bioreference asked me, through my supervisor, to stop sharing this publication inside the Lab. It was because of their concern about the religious content of my publication. They said that I can share this publication "only with friends and people I know".

I’d like to understand this ambiguous limitation and what the reasons are for this censorship. If there is a policy of equality at the company, I want to be treated the same way as others:

At the cafeteria and at the entrance of buildings, people post ads with pictures, posters, boxes with flyers, etc. about sales, cultural activities, concerts, support of specific causes, news, etc.

Proposal:

I ask for a spot in the bulletin boards in each entrance and in the cafeterias where I could place my publication in a way that everybody could take a copy freely if they want. Those not interested shouldn’t be bothered by it.

This way we guarantee the freedom of everybody to read or not to read as it always was my intention.

I am not asking the company to promote my publication. I just ask for freedom of speech and equality.

I ask for the same treatment that is given to any other initiative, cause, or business that are promoting their views and activities on the bulletin boards at the entrances of buildings or departments, or in the cafeterias. I don’t think I am asking for too much.

The company celebrates Christmas, Halloween and Diwali, celebrations which have clear religious implications. We treat each expression with respect without imposing our views to anybody. Why should it be different this time?

The administration labeled my initiative as “religious” implying something bad or dangerous for the company.

I haven’t promoted any religious institutions in this publication. But it is also true that I am not afraid to talk about God. He is my most important motivation in life. Killing God (Nietzsche's way) only makes life sad and purposeless.

God is the biggest inspiration anybody can have.  

I assure you that not only some employees, but the company itself will benefit from this initiative. It will result in a better work environment, a better motivation of the employee force, a better general and mental health resulting in less absenteeism and higher efficiency at work. Building conscience and life values like “honesty” and “respect”, will give us the motivation to be more responsible about our work ethics and to the patients we serve.

Please, give me this opportunity to prove myself right. I am not asking anybody to agree with 100% of what I say. But check if something could be useful for you. If I didn’t think this would be beneficial to many, I wouldn’t be so passionate about it. This project was never an imposition. It is a free contribution to our community.

 About the Editors of “Workplace Wisdom”:

 Daniel Martin and Hannelore Schultz are both Medical Doctors graduated in Argentina.

Both graduated from Theological Studies at the International Baptist Seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

They worked in Mozambique, Africa for 5 years with an International Medical Mission.

They started several humanitarian projects and maintain ties with this African country helping in community development projects to this day.

They are married and have two children.

Daniel is an ordained pastor and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Daniel is proud to be part of the Microbiology Department where he works as a Medical Technologist.

Thanks for your support

  danielmartinusa@hotmail.com