Altruism at the Crossroads

   Last week we explored the concept of humility as an essential component of Servant Leadership.  This week we take up characteristic of altruism. Altruism basically means a selfless commitment to the welfare of others.  
   What does the Jesus say about this?  John 15:13 says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life friends.”
   Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical letter Sollicitudo rei socialis states that:
   A very good example of altruism is the Students for Social Justice Movement, which is illustrated in this video:

When interdependence becomes recognized in this way, the correlative response as a moral and social attitude, as a "virtue," is solidarity. This then is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all. This determination is based on the solid conviction that what is hindering full development is that desire for profit and that thirst for power already mentioned. These attitudes and "structures of sin" are only conquered - presupposing the help of divine grace - by a diametrically opposed attitude: a commitment to the good of one's neighbor with the readiness, in the gospel sense, to "lose oneself" for the sake of the other instead of exploiting him, and to "serve him" instead of oppressing him for one's own advantage (cf. Mt 10:40-42; 20:25; Mk 10:42-45; Lk 22:25-27).

     Even though the dramatic visualization of need surrounds us, we often hear ourselves think “I can’t jump on a plane to another part of the world” -- But --  with a heightened awareness of need throughout the world and in the city, you can find yourself thinking, “I can do something.”    If in recognizing that my city - Canton – is the acre of God’s world that has been given to me to extend my care – then it is here that I give of my time or my resources - at one of our soup kitchens, or sharing my talent on a Habitat for Humanity build, or helping a single mother with three children finish her education or further her education.   It may be giving of my time at Catholic Charities or volunteering to help at school or in my parish or church.  The important thing is that we share our lives in making a difference for one other person – but we need to answer for ourselves the question Jesus asked, “Who is my neighbor?”.  That answer has to be determined by each one of us – but the neighbor is somewhere in this world – maybe in another part of the world or maybe right down the street at the crossroads of the city.