SearchPillars
2006 T-shirt Image with Pillars
Service
People are in need now, so we need to serve them.
Since this is the one pillar that is in the name of the program, it must be important! On each Spring Break Service Trip (SBST) we try to include some meaningful direct service work. This could include repairing houses, serving at a soup kitchen or just visiting with someone. The point is that if people are in need now, we need to serve them. If someone is hungry now, we need to feed them. Service is strongly rooted in all faith traditions. An added bonus of service is that it provides the opportunity to explore or clarify participants' plans for professional commitments and/or discerning the possibility of longer-term volunteer opportunities.
Solidarity
Our solidarity is not just with the poor. It must be as broad as it is deep, drawing all those with whom we work and those whom we serve into union with one another.
Solidarity is the social meaning of humility. Just as humility leads individuals to all other virtues, humility as solidarity is the foundation of a just society. Solidarity shapes our lifestyle, which will depend on each one's vocation. Solidarity doesn't mean destitution. It has nothing to do with denying our training or neglecting our talents. Solidarity leads to sharing the obscurity, misunderstanding, and contempt experienced by the poor.
Justice
Someone is hungry, so we need to feed them. And we need to ask why this person is hungry and work to change social systems so that the direct service may no longer be needed.
Service and justice are tightly intertwined. If someone is hungry, we need to feed him. And we need to ask why the person is hungry and work to change social systems so that the direct service may no longer be needed. We explore justice on SBST by doing social analysis around issues that affect the people in the host community. This social analysis helps us to understand the importance of both personal responsibility and social structures. By the end of the SBST, we hope to be able to put some of our ideas into action on behalf of justice. An influential Jesuit document maintains that all their ministries need be “in the service of faith of which the promotion of justice is an absolute necessity.” Despite the presence of many injustices in the world, we gain hope by learning from individuals and organizations who are dedicated to working in and improving their communities.
Community
I am because we are; and we are because I am.
Catholic Social Thought teaches that we are always individuals in community. Each individual is sacred, but so is the community. An African proverb puts it this way: “I am because we are; and we are because I am.” There are many communities involved in SBST: the group of student participants, the host community, the Creighton community and beyond. We strive to build positive relationships both within the Creighton group and with people of the host site. We realize that participants are not simply individuals who experience a SBST on their own, but rather that they are persons in a group who can support and challenge one another throughout their experience. We provide participants the opportunity to learn about the dynamics of community and community-building.
Simplicity
Refraining from other "stuff" that gets in the way of hearing our true selves and God.
Life can get complex. Sometimes we need to strip away some of that complexity in order to remember what is truly important. Focusing on simplicity allows us to reconnect with what is essential. Simplicity can mean refraining from excessive material consumption. Simplicity can also mean refraining from other “stuff” that gets in the way of hearing our true selves and God: television, music, busy-ness. Finally, simplicity can mean doing something such as taking a walk in nature. Simplicity is not poverty, which is always degrading and dehumanizing. Through simplicity, participants can explore and question how their own lifestyles are connected to and interdependent with the lives of others.
Sustainability
In a world of limited resources, refraining from over-consumption, allows for a more sustainable way of living for our planet.
Simplicity and Sustainability are closely related, with simplicity focusing on an individual lifestyle and behavior. Living simply will contribute to a more sustainable future but that may or may not be the intent of the simple living practitioner. Sustainability refers to our ability as a society and a species to sustain our existence over time.
Reflection
Placing our experiences in dialogue with where we make meaning, such as our faith traditions and family backgrounds.
Reflection is as important as the service itself. It is through reflection that we make meaning out of experiences. Reflection is about placing our experiences in dialogue with where we make meaning, such as our faith traditions and family backgrounds. Through reflection we hope participants can integrate their immersion experiences with the rest of their lives. We provide times for reflection and prayer, respectful and appreciative of diverse backgrounds. Each evening the group gathers for an hour or so to reflect on the day’s experiences. Many participants find this activity to be the most rewarding of the week.