It is indeed a difficult task to reduce more than seven months of very rich experience as a receptionist at the Dalhousie Multifaith Centre (DMC) into a few paragraphs. I came to the DMC quite inexperienced but by the end of 2006, I had acquired a significant amount of experiences on general office procedures. Sitting at the front desk means being an embodiment of the vision and objectives of the establishment. The watchwords at the DMC are respect, acceptance, courtesy and compassion for all humans irrespective of their beliefs.
My short orientation did not prepare me well enough for a broad and more accommodating approach to faith and religiosity. I would learn this later through my interactions with the different Chaplains representing an array of faiths (Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). These encounters largely modified my views on religion and spirituality. It is amazing how, in addition to the spiritual counseling and guidance, worship and prayer meetings, bible studies and discussions, and more, Chaplains from varying religious faiths perfectly combine and complete each other in a common goal of humble services to the students and staff of the university. I so much cherished the Chaplaincy’s services through outreach programs like the Faith Fair, and the Fall Welcome Event. These activities are important in meeting the spiritual, social and intellectual needs of the university community.
As a Christian, sitting at the front desk of the DMC is very challenging at times. The receptionist is the contact person between the office and any individual coming to use the chaplaincy facilities. Interestingly, different people come in with different expectations and opinions. Some Christian students come in with the opinion that the DMC is a church. Some Muslims come in thinking that it is a mosque. Some Jewish students come in believing that it is a synagogue. With these divergent opinions, the work of a receptionist becomes more challenging as he/she interacts with individuals who are seemingly unaware of the multi-faith dimension of the office. For instance, what should a receptionist say to a student who points at the brochure of another religious group and says: why do you keep this type of brochure here? Don’t you know that this is the house of God?
The sweet and bitter experiences put together, I still believe that it is a worthy experience to have worked at the DMC.
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