Set the World Aflame

As most or all of you know, I went to Boston College and it is a Jesuit Catholic university. While this fact did influence my decision to go to BC somewhat, it was only a contributing factor because of their academic excellence, but it slowly became a very influential part of my experience there. The Jesuits are different from pretty much any other Catholic order out there. Historically, these priests were travelers and missionaries, working to spread Catholicism throughout the world, often in very hostile environments. The Jesuits also consistently pushed the envelope of what was considered acceptable in Catholicism, and as such sometimes met with horrific deaths at the hands of their superiors. The Jesuits are not what I would consider to be "conservative Catholics" though this might be a bit redundant. They are always pushing their students to question everything, ask the tough questions, and in doing so make the world a better place.

Throughout my first week at BC as a freshman, various catch phrases and mottoes were drilled into our minds. At the time, I remember thinking that it was all a bit kitschy and much. But now I've been finding myself thinking a great deal about what St. Ignatius used to tell his followers, "Go out and set the world aflame!" This was one of the phrases repeated constantly throughout that first week, by the way. Now that I am out in the world, no longer in the comfort zone of home, this sentiment is starting to ring true to me. I'm not a very religious person, so perhaps this phrase does not hold exactly the same sentiments for me as it does for the Jesuits, but it does strike a cord. Perhaps they've influenced me much more than I ever thought while I was at BC. Since leaving BC, I have had a very strong desire to do something that holds meaning. I didn't want to spend my life behind a desk pushing paper for the next 45-50 years until I drop dead or retire. I could not see what good this would do for me or anyone else. Eventually I came to the decision to become a teacher, in the spirit of the Jesuits, and devote my life to education and making the world a better place because of that.

Well before going home and starting my "real life," I've decided to come to Europe for a while and teach English. I can see now really what the Jesuits mean by setting the world aflame. Generally, fires don't start with an explosion, but with little sparks that slowly catch and grow into something much larger. I know several of my classmates are doing some very exciting things back in the States, but also around the world. I like to think of each of us as one of these tiny sparks. No I might not be making a huge difference in the state of the world by helping some Hungarian teenagers with their English, but maybe through bettering their understanding as well as my understanding of our cultural differences, the state of affairs in the world will change slowly. I know the Internet has already had a huge impact on youth culture throughout the world, but I like to see those of us that spend time abroad as ambassadors too. Hopefully we are doing good work, and providing a positive view of our country to the world.

Anyway, this was my philosophical rant for the month. Setting the world aflame was something that I've just been thinking about a lot since I arrived in Hungary. I might be here alone, but it's nice to feel connected to a bigger picture, and feel like I am living out the values that were instilled in me throughout my education.