The name of our program is important: Servant Year. Service, offering your gifts, skills and abilities to build up others and communities, is an essential element of who we are and what we do. Being a servant is counter cultural. It means that we decide to put some of our own wants aside, so that we may grow in our understanding of our common dependence upon one another. Service is an opportunity for us to learn about ourselves, others, as well as the nature of neighborhoods, communities and organizations. All of this prepares us to take next steps in our lives and work.
In the Christian tradition, identifying as a servant is identifying with Jesus. Jesus teaches his followers that he came "as one who serves." (Luke 22:27) Being a servant is not a demeaning title, but one that unites us with Jesus more fully. It is a move of faith, and service helps us to come to new understandings of God. |