Sitting in a Washington, D.C., pub, I was enjoying a pint of beer after work with several co-workers when one asked me to describe my philosophy of life-admittedly a surprising but appropriate question to ask over a drink or two. Only a few weeks earlier I had begun a new job at L'Arche as a development associate. L'Arche is an interfaith community of people with and without intellectual and physical disabilities. Being the new employee on the block, I took a sip, thought for a minute and answered, "Well, I try to live by the following: ‘to find God in all things,' ‘the best is yet to come,' ‘to be a person for others' and to do everything for ‘the greater glory of God.'" My reply drew a third co-worker into the conversation who commented, "You must have a Jesuit background because those sound like very Jesuit phrases." I smiled at this, recalling the previous decade of my life spent in Jesuit education-high school, college, and two years of volunteer service. Over the last ten years, I realize I have been influenced deeply by the Jesuit charism affecting how I approach a situation, a problem or a decision, and even my spirituality.
The man beside me asked, "Isn't this philosophy too optimistic-more of an ‘if I believe the world to be a happy place, I will ignore what is wrong in the world' hopefulness?"
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David Uhl (2005 Krista Colleague) spent two years with Jesuit Volunteer Corps, in Detroit and in New Orleans. Now pursuing a Masters Degree in nonprofit management at American University, David works as the Development and Outreach Associate for L'Arche in Washington, D.C., an organization that provides lifelong homes to people with intellectual disabilities. In addition to working and studying full time, David finds great joy and renewal as he spends quality time with the L'Arche community.
