Spirituality One problem with many service programs is that they are weighted towards service and lack a spiritual basis that facilitates a process of reflection. This component brings lasting meaning to the experience. The strength of the Los Embajadores program lies in the fact that the experience is grounded in the values of Christ's social gospel and Catholic Social Teaching. The process of spiritual reflection is carried out through a “praxis” approach - that is, an ongoing relationship between reflection and action. The lessons learned come out of actively working with the poor and reflecting upon the Gospel message in light of that service. The daily service work and evening discussions provide an atmosphere for this ongoing dialogue between action and reflection. Each evening two hours are set aside in our schedule for groups to journal and reflect together. These reflections are facilitated by the group’s own adult leaders, using resource material prepared by Los Embajadores. These evening reflection periods offer a supportive environment in which individuals can process their own experience and learn from the insights of other participants. The way in which we teach Christ's message about social justice is just as important as what we teach. Los Embajadores never forces Catholic doctrine or social theory on participants. Rather, we invite them to examine the issues and their own assumptions critically. Christ’s message is the framework within which we approach this process, but participants are encouraged and expected to exercise the dignity and freedom of processing their experience within their own individually held belief system. I also learned that to truly serve you must be humble. The point of service is to focus on something bigger than you. To truly benefit from service, a person needs to let go of a self-centered world, and focus on a cause that is bigger. It can be difficult, but it is not impossible to follow Jesus in His example of perfect love. |