International Solidarity Reflection

"All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one." (A prayer for our earth from Laudato Si')

Experience

Among our students, we experience day by day that solidarity with others, the assumption of the goodwill of each person, is becoming less and less common. Individualism is spreading, and already in kindergarten, many children behave as if only what is important to them matters, and their parents expect the kindergarten teacher to pay attention almost exclusively to their child. They have strong stereotypes about peoples of other nationalities and their fellow human beings who are less fortunate. Our teenage students find it difficult to take responsibility for their actions, e.g. for causing damage. In addition, they have the mindset of the throwaway culture: they easily get rid of things that are no longer needed and delete relationships that have become difficult or are no longer important to them at a touch of a button. Since they do not directly experience the effects of global problems on a daily basis, it is difficult to persuade them to act for the protection of the Earth and their fellow human beings, particularly those in need. However, it is important to remember that each of us, including our students, has the power to make a difference and promote solidarity and environmental protection in our daily lives.

At the same time, we also experience that they are capable of generous acts. When we organized a fundraiser for the children in Sierra Leone, they were willing to donate pencils and school supplies to help the children there. It is also a common experience that students who have been abused as young children at home are the ones who show solidarity with others. We had a student who was severely abused in the family, and he was the most protective of his peers and other creatures, especially animals. On another occasion, I had to take a dormitory student to the hospital because she had severe stomach pains. We spent four and a half hours in the hospital, most of it was waiting for doctors and the test results, and we were talking the whole time. During that time, she thanked me several times for being there with her, and I did not understand because it was for me so natural. It was two days later that I really understood why she had been so grateful to me. I took her from the hospital to the dormitory, but none of her relatives were willing to come to town to sign the papers so the hospital would let her go home. Her mother abandoned her when she was a little girl and refused to have any contact with her. Her father was not willing to come because of his job, and her grandmother because of her health issues. This sixteen-year-old teenager knew how to be grateful for care. The fact that she had not experienced caring in her family taught her to see every small gesture of love that others might not notice and to be grateful to everyone who cared.

Reflection

In the Foreword of You Are Sent, we are called "to transcend ourselves through the power of the Spirit in order to be ever more deeply united with our God, … to be ever more deeply united with God's people, ….and to be more for others." If we are able to contemplate the diversity of creation, and to respect that all living beings have a value of their own (LS 69), we will be able to transcend ourselves. We often experience a rejection of everything that is unfamiliar or unknown to us, whether in the world, in our surroundings, in our community, in our family, in ourselves, or in our own lives. However, diversity is a gift from God, and standing in awe and contemplating it instead of rejecting it brings healing and immeasurable richness to our lives and helps us to step out of ourselves toward the other and welcome everything into our lives with love. In the words of Richard Rohr, "Like Jesus, we are to love others, not because of who they are, but because of who we are - all and equally the beloved of God." If we approach everyone and everything with this attitude, it will foster a "culture of care" in our world instead of a culture of discrimination and throwaway. (LS 231 and 22) This leads us to the oneness we are called to, for which we strive every day, and which results in an inner peace that affects our immediate and wider environment. "Inner peace is closely related to care for ecology and for the common good because, lived out authentically, it is reflected in a balanced lifestyle together with a capacity for wonder which takes us to a deeper understanding of life." (LS 225)

Action

In May 2021, we embarked on a seven-year journey toward an integral ecology. Our Congregation committed "to live more simply, responsibly, and sustainably and to educate advocate, act in collaboration with others for the dignity of life and the care of all creation." (Laudato Si’ Congregation Public Commitment, 25 May 2021).

1. What further actions can I/we take to help me/us live "more simply, responsibly, and sustainably" in ourselves and/or in my community?
2. Spend an hour in nature this month contemplating its diversity and beauty and marvelling at its richness. How do I/we love and respect myself/ourselves and all God’s creatures?
3. Who are those on the periphery in my life—in my community, in my family, and where I serve? Take some time this month to pray for and/or reach out to at least one of them.
4. Where in my life or in my service is it necessary and possible to do something for the dignity of life and care for creation in order to build peace?