Service & Peace: Finding all the Pieces

By Janice M. Staral, MSW, Ph.D
Assistant Professor, Social & Cultural Sciences
Social Welfare & Justice Major

When I was asked to write about “Service,” one of the pillars in Marquette’s Mission Statement, I was struck with the irony of my being asked to write about “service” and wondered how I might link this pillar with peace.  The irony in this case, is that service is not a word that I frequently use in my vocabulary.  When I think of the word, service; my mind very quickly moves to the words, empowerment, justice, advocacy, and structural change.

Often times when I hear someone talk about service; I hear words like, the disadvantaged, the poor, helping out, “doing for,” or our “feeling good.”  I still remember a story told by Paul Rogat Loeb, an author who wrote the book, Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time.  Paul tells the story of a wealthy gentleman, who volunteered at a homeless shelter for over a year.  After the man finished his “service work,” he commented what a wonderful experience it was and how much he learned from the people who were homeless.  He commented on how he gained an appreciation for the many blessings he had been given in his life.  Then…he went on to comment how much he hoped this homeless shelter would still be there so his young son could also have this same wonderful experience!  So…the wealthy man “didn’t get it.”  This story explains my irony and my caution about the term service, but as a reflection and in order to find all the pieces, maybe there’s more to understand or actualize about service.

In the Mission Statement, service is presented as “the human person is freed through service to others and the world.  …Jesuit education guides students to a greater love and service of their neighbor…  Its scholarship and educational programs prepare students to promote justice for individuals and within the very structures of society.”

This statement is the reflection that we need to keep central and as a constant reminder.  Service and justice are not two separate entities.  They are companion concepts.  Neither concept is complete without the other. Service gives us a place to begin. When we add love, with the spirit of approaching each person with dignity and awe, and the passion to change injustice, we become acquainted with new words or concepts.  We then reflect on words such as, “doing with, reciprocal, generosity, empathy, and solidarity.”  Maybe these are the “pieces” that we need to find in doing service and maybe these pieces lead to a sense of peace that we have yet to realize.

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