|
During January, we focused on Gratitude – the first of five Portrait of a Saint characteristics. Now in February, we turn to the second – Advocacy. At VCHS, we define advocacy this way – Our graduates listen to understand knowing when and how to speak. When advocating, they use their voices with confidence to speak the truth for themselves and others.
There’s a lot to unpack in those two sentences, so with the musing I want to put the spotlight on some of the last words in the final sentence – speak the truth for…others. For me, the basis for advocacy for others comes from both the Old and New Testaments. The Book of Leviticus states Judaic laws that when followed will yield holiness before God. In the New Testament, Jesus wrapped it all up and a put a nice bow on it by summarizing those laws into two commandments.
When responding to a scribe (a teacher and interpreter of Judaic law) this is what Jesus said:
1) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
2) You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus’ second statement came right from Leviticus – you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
That’s where I want to conclude. It seems that advocacy and ‘love your neighbor’ go hand in glove. In other words, when you love your neighbor – really love – you will (or should) advocate for them, support them, argue for them, stand up for them, and defend them. And that’s what we want to see in our students and graduates – using their voices with confidence to speak the truth for others – to even be the voice for those who may not yet have the confidence or ability to speak for themselves. Imagine a world with that type of love! And Saints can play a role in making that kind of world become a reality.
Steve O'Neil
Head of School
| 
