What You Bring to Work

The spirit of medicine can be deformed by our training and by other experiences in practice. What spirit do you bring to the bedside? There is a Sufi parable which illustrates this concept. The story is set at a building site where a great sanctuary is under construction. At the base of this growing structure three men are busy cutting stone. After the stones are cut they are hoisted onto the top of the rising wall by a crane. A passer by approaches one of the stone cutters and asks, “What are you doing?” The stone cutter replies, “Can’t you see? I’m cutting stones.” The passer by walks on a short distance to another cutter and asks, “What are you doing?” The second cutter responds, “I’m working to earn a living for my family. My son will get an education and live a better life.” The passer by asks the third cutter also, and he replies, “I am helping to build a great sanctuary.” All three of the stone cutters were cutting stone. All three brought a different spirituality to their work. In the work of a physician, spirituality is something you bring to the bedside. You cannot expect to be an instrument of spiritual healing for patients if your spiritual cup is empty. You cannot expect to be an instrument of spiritual healing for patients without some simple tools.