For Spring Break (last week), I went to on a service trip in Camden. There, we stayed in a center that was for the most part, strictly Catholic. I went with my school and there were other schools there as well. I am part of a Catholic school, however, we are not exclusive. It just so happens that the group I went with was not Catholic, in fact most of us didn’t have any religious affiliation. You can imagine our shock as everyone else was really Catholic, and when I say really, I mean really, strictly Catholic.
Besides already sticking out for being the most diverse in what seemed a mostly “white” group, we also stood out for a lack of religiousness. However, this doesn’t mean that we were any less than the other schools, we were there with the same reason after all; to serve the community in need.
It was odd to say the least. Most people assumed were Catholic or Christians and attempted to “connect” with us through faith, but were automatically turned off when we told them we weren’t. Being that the center was Catholic, everyday we learned about Catholic social teachings and reflected upon our service based on religion (i.e “Where did you see God today?”). Naturally, we were put off by it, but it was still a good experience.
On the last day there, we had one final reflection. It was there that we received a cross, a simple marble cross on black string. Our leader said that we should accept the crosses, despite our beliefs, for the cross she was giving us signified the values and things we learned during our service. The cross was a symbol of our goals, and, in some way, a medium for us to never forget what we experienced.
I was never opposed to religion, or opposed to crosses despite not being religious myself. The reasons for it are rather simple, I believe in God, in Heaven, and in Hell. I think the Bible and all forms of religion teach something invaluable for those who seek it for guidance. While I believe all this, I also believe that I cannot form part of a religion because I will always be skeptical of many things. I also know that I will go against some of the religious beliefs, and I strongly believe that it wouldn’t be fair to God to have mixed feelings. I want to be committed wholeheartedly, and at this point in my life I'm not.
The cross I have received and I wear constantly is a reminder of my own little faith. It is also a representation everything I’ve believe in terms of service. To give myself completely for a cause I really care about, to give back to those who most need it, to always be open to new experiences and being always conscious of how things affect other people. Service is a beautiful thing, and it has become a life goal of mine to dedicate myself to it in some shape or form. That is what the cross represents to me.
