Vanier Community And Growth

Let's understand

“Do you think that I am spoilt?”asked Paul.

“It depends.  You can be spoilt by your mother, your father, your ayah, your siblings, your uncle or aunt or you may even be the spoilt darling of Society,” replied his grandmother, adding, “The danger is that when you grow up spoilt, you cannot see beyond your own pleasure and your own survival and, however much you have, you cannot bear to think that someone else can have anything.  You always want to be the centre of attention.”

“What’s wrong with that?” questioned Paul.

“You see, my dear child, you cannot have attention all the time.  There are times when you have to accept that you are just another person.  After her grand wedding, Kate Middleton was seen pushing a trolley in the supermarket just like anyone else.  You have to face the fact that no-one is greater or lesser than another,” observed the old lady.

“And all of us need to understand that we are all emotionally wounded by the circumstances of our upbringing and we are all hurting inside, according to Jean Vanier, author of the book Community and Growth,” chimed in Mary, a student of Psychology.

“So we need to give each other space to grow and mature and let go of our childish feelings of wanting to be Number One all the time.”

“It’s difficult but I’ll try to be satisfied with what I have and be at peace,” concluded Paul.

Let’s understand and not judge human beings.

Creating a Servant Leadership Community in the Philippines

Greetings from the Center for Servant Leadership, Philippines! It is my joy to share with you some of the small steps we have taken in trying to create a true community here at Mindoro.

Our two-year journey with you has been a wonderful experience. It is heartbreaking to leave the Ballasts, who have truly become friends who stick closer than a brother. But geography cannot loosen the grip as we hold on to the “yarn” that web us into becoming and belonging in community. We are grateful for your support, knowing that you have one end of that “yarn”.

In our desire to create community, we sing, “I will change your name. You shall no longer be called…(MBC, an educational institution that gives out academic degrees)…and your new name shall be…(CSLP which patronizes the mission to be a training center that prepares servant leaders). Hence, in our efforts to learn and unlearn, we decided to come up with a new name and live out what it means to be the Center for Servant Leadership, Philippines.

We are aware this is not easy with all its risks and dangers. But we are passionate about this and we do pray that you continually lend us some help and guidance along the way. Jean Vanier’s Community and Growth has been enormously aiding us in our community experience with the Ballasts in Baguio City. We brought two copies with us to Mindoro so we will incorporate it in our daily community meetings.

Looking back, I could testify that there are indeed visible changes in our world. SLS 1 was a blast- life changing for many of us and as the years came, there are noticeable effects in Pinamalayan town, Guinhawa, our neighborhood, MBC to CSLP, and SLS itself. Every SLS is a newly written autobiography for the facilitators- we add some, we take out some, we talk on the essentials. Even the way we spend on things has changed a lot (not because there is lesser money to spend but because we discern what is more important than not, we hear the cries around us that need more of the spending). We are being struck more and more to focus not only in the externals but more on what’s in the heart. The G-Life is continuously catering not just to the economy of Guinhawa but also to the needs of the people to be seen and heard as worthwhile beings. The local government of Pinamalayan has acknowledged our potentials in contributing to the growth of the society. The mayor is a willing participant to community affairs and we do pray we could have him be more supportive to the livelihood and community projects of Guinhawa in the future.

Community and Growth

The Spirituality of Community Life, When We Come 'Round Right

Community Life Among the Religious

Receiving the gift of friendship, profound disability, theological anthropology, and ethics

Metamorpha, Jesus as a way of life