Palmer Trinity School

|Highlights| Sean Murphy Sacrifice, Humility, and Power In the old days, charity was often regarded as an obligation of the privileged toward the less privileged, a handing down of material goods, usually in the form of food or money, to help sustain the lives of the poor. At first glance such an arrangement seems to be beneficial to both sides. The giver feels virtuous and the receiver lives on. Those paternalistic strategies, however, preserved oppressive social hierarchies and prevented any lasting improvement in the lives of those being served. Throughout history great spiritual teachers have warned us against the liabilities of such transactions. Mahatma Gandhi, for example, included among his seven social sins "religion without sacrifice." He understood the impossibility of approaching God without the sacrifice of ego and pride. Such sacrifice is the essence of meaningful community service. True compassion comes from spiritual strength born of deep humility. Think of the image of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Service transforms us when we sacrifice our own power, when we empower others, and when we allow ourselves to become vulnerable. In these days, community service is less about what we can do for others, and more about what the act of serving does to us individually, transforming us internally and spiritually. We are all called to service, and service is at the center of our purpose. In the Book of Genesis we are created to tend and keep the garden, rather than to consume it and use it for our purposes. Service offers an opportunity to reconsider our relationship to the world and to each other. Initially strangers, we find that in fact we are our brother's keeper. In our service we must disrupt conventional hierarchies and comfortable social structures. Definitions of rich and poor, popular and outcast, healthy and sick, change in the fields of service. Otherwise we are likely to miss the opportunity for spiritual growth. As Martin Luther King said, "we can all be great, because we can all serve." In other words, through the discipline of service we may become great in spirit. I have never seen a better example of such spirit than the group of students and teachers who travelled to Nicaragua over the February break. Upon their return, they shared testimonials, photos, and a video of their experiences at Convocation. All the elements of deep service learning were present even after the fact. Everyone who gave themselves to that mission returned with greater humility, compassion, transformation, and an abiding power. Top row (left to right): Gina Tomasetti, Head of School Sean Murphy, Pauline Dawson Bottom row (left to right): Alexander Dudley, Nicolas Cadena, Myles Bullock, Taylor Haas. 3

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