Over the past thirty-seven years, I have met and walked alongside countless young volunteers and those no longer young who have come to L'Arche and Faith and Light. In our 120 L'Arche communities, they share life with disabled men and women, living and working with them each day. In the 15,000 Faith and Light communities worldwide, they meet regularly with disabled people and their parents. Many have become faithful friends to those with disabilities. I can testify that this friendship with the weak has brought them greater maturity and wholeness, and deepened their faith in Jesus.
Many young volunteers arrive at our communities and undergo a transformation. Jesus waits for them in the poor and the weak. They discover something fundamental about what it means to be human and to follow Jesus.
First, they gradually discover their own heart—their deepest self. People with learning disabilities ask for affection, loyal friendship, and understanding. They possess a mysterious way of breaking through the barriers we build around our hearts. They awaken what is deepest in us: our heart and our hunger for human relationship. We see this in the parable of the Good Samaritan—how the wounded Jew, left on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem, touches and awakens the heart of the passing Samaritan.
Today many young people long to go to the poorest regions of the world. They want to share their lives with those in shantytowns, refugee camps, schools for disabled children. They too undergo an experience that transforms their lives. They realize they can make something beautiful of their lives simply by being present to people and learning to love them with wisdom. They begin to see how closed and prejudiced they once were, how they cared only for their immediate families, their group, their religion, their culture. They start to understand how the wealthier cultures oppress the poor. This experience of sharing in the suffering of the weak helps them discover what it means to belong to the human family. They discover that to be human and Christian means to love people. Things and projects matter, but only insofar as they serve people.
Martin Buber, the Jewish philosopher, observed that when societies place too much emphasis on acquiring things, they tend to lose sight of relationship. Our wealth as human beings lies precisely in our relationships. The path to resolving conflict and achieving justice can only pass through dialogue, relationship, and love.
Many young volunteers come to our communities wanting to do good for the poor, but they discover that it is the weak and poor who heal and transform them, bringing them to compassion. Many discover or deepen their faith through compassion—the very road that leads to Jesus. They discover that God awaits them in the poor and the weak. Then they realize that Christianity is not first and foremost theology, catechism, or moral law, but relationship with a person—with Jesus himself. This is what John, the beloved disciple, reveals when he writes in his letters:
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God."
(1 John 4:7)
"If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?"
(1 John 3:17)
In our fragmented world, many young people feel lost. Some, when they see the chaos around them and within themselves—their own violence, their disordered sexuality—end up living chaotic lives. Others do what everyone does. They try to ignore the chaos, never question society's values, and seek only security, money, and success. Still others see the chaos and feel threatened by it, so they seek out strong groups that promise them security and certainty. They need to feel strong and on the right side.
Yet others choose the uncertain path of compassion. They long to be with the world's poor. But they discover their own weakness. To grow in love, they need help. Through compassion, they discover community and their need for a deep, personal relationship with Jesus. They discover the meaning of the Eucharist and the washing of feet. They discover the Church—a community of believers—and begin to long for unity among all who follow Jesus and for all humanity.
In our confused and fragmented world, L'Arche and Faith and Light are schools of human relationship—schools of the heart. In difficult moments, when we face our own violence, we learn how desperately we need help to love with wisdom. We need the support of community and wise spiritual guidance to become whole, mature people united to Jesus.
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you." (Luke 6:36-38)
- Jean Vanier, 2002