Mark Van Kirk Prof. Vanessa Chan Moreau FYE 29 April 2022 Shining Like Christ I realized my greatest aspiration in life when I read Martin Luther King, Jr’s “Three Dimensions of a Complete Life.” At one point towards the end of the speech, King alludes to the day that we will stand face-to-face with God. “On that day,” he says, “the question will be, ‘What did you do for others?’” That question seems to echo in my head when I am in doubt, when I am at my worst, or when I am simply reflecting on who I am or who I want to become. Life has a way of flashing before us at some moments, but other times it seems like it will drag on forever. But both visions of life have incredible meaning if we are devoted to stepping out of ourselves to help others. And that is what Martin Luther King, Jr., gets at when he poses the question: “What did you do for others?” My mission is focused on giving my answer to that question as much substance as possible. But I frequently find myself thinking, “Once I have this (money, security, more time, etc.) or finish that (the semester, school, etc.), then I will be able to serve, … then I will be able to help, … only then I will be able to do something for others.” Yet the fascinating thing is that it never seems to happen. My “beginning point” for service is always pushed back into the stacks, and it often seems like I am too comfortable to allow my life to adapt to outside needs. Thus, an idea that was presented in the first week of this course rings true: “The very people, in short, who have worked to speed up the world are the same ones most sensitive to the virtue of slowing down” (“Why We Need to Slow Down Our Lives” by Pico Iyer – Moreau FYE Week One). I feel like I’m rushing around in a goopy confusion, unable to slow down and experience the truly important elements in life. I certainly need to devote my time more consciously, and I will do that this summer as a counselor at Falling Creek Camp in North Carolina, an all-boys camp that I attended during middle school. Taking the advice of Fr. Michael Himes—“Look for the task that will continue to stretch you”—I will be sharing a cabin with fifth graders and entering into their lives in a profound way (“Three Key Questions” by Fr. Michael Himes – Moreau FYE Week Three). In a beautiful way, I will enhance the growth of these young men as well as suffer with them in their times of need. I will realize an important aspect of faith: “In faith we learn there’s meaning in suffering, but to truly understand that we have to first suffer ourselves” (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca and Christine O’Malley – Moreau FYE Week Two). As a counselor, I pray that I will also gain a glimpse of what my ultimate vocation is. I have begun to explore this that out through the career development process, and “[will] engage in it again and again as needed to effectively manage [my] career” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Merulo Family Center for Career Development – Moreau First Year Experience Week Four). But, regardless of what I end up doing, I will make sure that my work promotes the common good. I will not become a political hobbyist, allowing “emotion [to be] the goal that makes [me] feel connected to something without doing anything [myself]” (“Passion Isn’t Enough” by Shankar Vedantam – Moreau FYE Week Eleven). Rather, I will venture into the world to make a lasting change—whether that be for one person or for the world. While King’s question might be a simple one, it becomes a harder question to answer when things do not turn out as we expect. For “when hardships happen to us, we often focus on https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40288/files/471202?module_item_id=145988 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40288/modules/items/145968 ( ( https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/ https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/passion-isnt-enough/ the things we do not have” (“Five Minutes” by Aria Swarr – Moreau First Year Experience Week Six). As I studied for finals last night, I began to focus on the fact that I did not have straight As or complete understanding in all of my classes. In doing so, I overlooked the great friends that I had made over the course of the semester and the material that I did understand in my various classes. I was reminded that the beauty of friendship greatly outweighs the letters that appear on a report card. I was able to appreciate “the ready way folks and homies tell you that they love you” (Tattoos on the Heart by Greg Boyle – Moreau First Year Experience Week Seven). One step that I need to take towards serving others is listening to them. “Good teachers are usually good learners, … open to new ways of thinking about the world, and enthusiastic about engaging those insights with others” (Teaching Accompaniment: A Learning Journey Together by Steve Reifenberg – Moreau FYE Week Nine). If I am to help others on their journey towards selfless love, I must be able to listen to them and see them as they are. In making this effort to understand another, I am “making [a] conscious decision and effort to expand our circles,” something that Marcus Cole suggests is vitally important in a complete life (“I Am George Floyd” by Marcus Cole – Moreau FYE Week Twelve). During my next three years at Notre Dame, I hope to discover how I am called to meet and serve others. For “[one] can’t convince [himself] God loves [him], but [he] can ask Him to show [him]” (“Growing Up Gay and Catholic” by Jacob Walsh – Moreau FYE Week Ten). Maybe I will be empowered to bring this message to others, or even be brought this message by another. For at Notre Dame, I know that anything is possible: “Notre Dame’s character as a Catholic academic community presupposes that no genuine search for the truth in the human or the cosmic order is alien to the life of faith” (“Mission | University of Notre Dame” – Moreau https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/transform/why-does-god-allow-suffering/?utm_source=moreau&utm_medium=class&utm_campaign=spring_2022 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40288/modules/items/146064 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40288/modules/items/146064 https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://law.nd.edu/news-events/news/dean-g-marcus-cole-i-am-george-floyd-except-i-can-breathe-and-i-can-do-something/ https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/community/reflective-narrative-about-being-gay-and-catholic/ https://www.nd.edu/about/mission/ FYE Week Thirteen). So, I step into the world with hope that my God will light my path so that I might begin running with purpose and conviction.