In the middle of my campus sits a bell tower that has long since surrendered its song. Although it can no longer physically call us to prayer, it does call us into action. At the base of the bell tower is a message inscribed for all those who walk the campus.
“You are called by the Society of Jesus to be men and women who reflect upon the reality of the world around you with all its ambiguities, opportunities, and challenges, to discern what is really happening in your life and in the lives of others, to find God there and to discover where God is calling you, to employ criteria for significant choices that reflect Godly values rather than narrow, exclusive self-interest, to make decisions in the light of what is truly for the greater glory of God and the service of those in need, and then to act accordingly.” – Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.
The words echo louder than any bell on our campus as we are asked every day to think of the greater workings of our lives. We are called to be men and women for each other. More importantly, however, is that we are now called to be men and women for and with each other. It was only recently that Rockhurst added the “with” others, a humble reminder that despite our tuition cost, we are not inherently better than the ones we are called to serve.
As a whole, Jesuits have not adopted the “with” part of the phrase. We are still a group for others rather than with. This is not due to the mentality of being better than another, but rather because we are called to be reflective practitioners of whatever field we choose to go into. It should be something already in the minds of Jesuits. The “with” levels the playing field because it calls for the person to agree that they have as much to get out of this experience as the ones they are serving. It is a contract, a handshake saying that we are all equal regardless of sex, gender, race, socioeconomic status or religion.
This handshake, this phrase, is echoed countless times through reflection and calls for an understanding. I have no right to judge anyone for their life choices, and they have no right to judge me for mine. Regardless of religion or the lack thereof that seems to be the idea behind millennials, asking people to be for and with each other rather than against is something everyone can do. It isn’t a “Catholic” thing, nor is it primarily a Jesuit thing. It is a challenge to see the world through the lens of equality rather than hierarchy.
At the end of the day, the bell tower is lit, and the cross stands as the most prominent aspect of the structure. The inscription leaves shadows to dance across the concrete. It reflects a call to action, one rooted in good intentions and put in place by people who believe nonviolence and advocacy are the best ways to set this world on fire. People who stand hand in hand with those they serve and seek to understand, not always to “fix”.
