Pursuing Our Purpose Through Service

“Why do you bother with them? They made their choice,” I was asked after returning from bringing a group of undergraduate students to tutor inmates in a maximum security prison outside of Philadelphia. By this point in my life, I should have developed a standard reply to this type of question, as I was asked it so frequently. I found myself answering, “I do it because of the type of person I feel called to be.”

Years later, the question of “why bother?” and my unfiltered response stick with me in my experience facilitating a multitude of similar trips with high school students to places in and around Boston, our country, and our world. The question, “Why bother?”, inherently puts the emphasis on those whom we serve. However, service is not a one-way street and I believe we need to also consider the kind of people we want to become through our service. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that “schools that empower students, foster a sense of community, and create experiences of social justice both in and outside of the classroom are more likely to see students adopt these behaviors” (Dassonneville et al., 2012; Flanagan et al., 2007; Nicholson, 2021). Additionally, alumni of these types of service-oriented school communities are more likely to continue their personal commitment to social justice after graduation (Nicholson, 2021). 

When I take students on week-long service immersion trips, I joke with their parents and guardians that their child will come back a little bit smellier than they left, but they will know how to wash the dishes, sweep the floor, and cut the lawn. In other words, there is no excuse for them not to be involved in chores around the house. There are so many quick and tangible benefits to service including those life skills, but here are a few bigger picture ones I have noticed:

I can think of no better experience for young people than service; service that challenges them to live out their faith and answer deep questions about vocation (i.e. a deep sense of direction) for their lives. So rather than, “Why bother?”, let’s ask ourselves a much more rewarding question: “What kind of people do we want to be?” Getting outside of our comfort zone in a supportive, service-based environment can help young people develop healthier relationships with themselves, with God, and with their communities. And those relationships will serve them well throughout their lives.