IN FAITH

When looking back upon the summer and coming back to the University of Saint Francis, I can’t help but think about the lessons that will be learned, impressed, ingrained by the culture that is the University of Saint Francis during this academic school year. As you all know, or for those of you who don’t, the University has five values that enriches our education at this fine institution. This year’s Franciscan Value being, “Reverence the unique dignity of each individual person,” is a truly great lesson that should be learned by all people.

In the world that we currently live in, this is a lesson that needs to be learned and appreciated by all people of this world.

What does it really mean to truly reverence the unique dignity of each person? To reverence something means to respect it. We need to respect the differences that we all have. We should find unity within the diversity that describes what college life is. We’re not all exactly the same. We are all so different at college, different families, different backgrounds, and different cultures all being mixed together and we call this mix college. This should make the college experience so much more interesting and educational; learning to interact with people who are completely different than ourselves, and then to truly learn to respect and eventually like that person.

When looking in depth at this year’s Franciscan Value, I can’t help but think about what God wants in our lives. God just simply wants us to love and respect one another, and isn’t that what Jesus did? When really reflecting on the lessons that Jesus taught us while on this earth, the reverence that he showed each person he met was such an amazing lesson within itself. He interacted directly with tax collectors, lepers, and the poor. If we really want to walk in the way that Jesus taught us, then we really need to respect what each individual has to offer. The only way to respect someone is to get to know him or her. I encourage you, if you’re an upper classman, or if you’re just beginning your college journey, take time to know someone that is different than yourself. This is a Christian campus that is up-held by Christian values, and maybe respect and tolerance in the world can begin this year, on this campus, by each individual person that makes up the cultured community THAT IS THE UNIVERSITY OF SAINT FRANCIS.