Professionals with a difference

A professional person is one whose type of work requires special training. Obviously, the work has to be remunerated fairly. Remuneration is a kind of recognition for the professional service that professional gives to clients.

Unfortunately certain professionals disappoint their clients who feel the professional is more interested in seeking new ways to charge them higher fees rather than being genuinely concerned about the service they provide. Or they may feel hurt by the professional's arrogance.

Irrespective of their faith, all professionals are called to render excellent service to others. Professional work is such only when it caters for the common good of humanity.

In his encyclical on human work, Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II highlighted this sublime end of human work. "Just as human activity proceeds from man, so it is ordered towards man. For when a man works he not only alters things and society, he develops himself as well. He learns much, he cultivates his resources, he goes outside of himself and beyond himself. Rightly understood, this kind of growth is of greater value than any external riches which can be garnered ... Hence, the norm of human activity is this: that in accord with the divine plan and will, it should harmonise with the genuine good of the human race, and allow people as individuals and as members of society to pursue their total vocation and fulfil it" (Laborem Exercens, 26).

For the Christian professional, the challenge is even harder. On the example of Jesus Christ, the Christian professional should have a caring and compassionate attitude. Compassion transforms work into a healing vocation. Hence, professionals worth their name always end up being healers rather than ruthless exploiters.

Writing to his fellow priests and ministers, Henry J. M. Nouwen, in his well-known book The Wounded Healer, said: "More training and structure are just as necessary as more bread for the hungry. But just as bread given without love can bring war instead of peace, professionalism without compassion will turn forgiveness into a gimmick, and the kingdom to come into a blindfold". If professionals are there to help people by their various expertise how can they turn against them by their irresponsible way of exercising their professions?

Blessed are those professionals who, while they receive a just remuneration for their professional service, be compassionate to their clients. They shall receive compassion not only from the people they wholeheartedly serve, but most of all from God, the Father of compassion and mercy (see Jn 5, 11).