Who am I? Who is God? Who is my Neighbor? These three questions frame the theological exploration of vocation that takes place at the CrossRoad Summer Institute—a 10-day academic summer program for Orthodox Christian juniors and seniors in high school.
At CrossRoad, we explore the question of “who is my neighbor” and our Christian call to “love thy neighbor” through both rich theological education and the physical experience of walking the streets to encounter the “least of their brethren” (Matt 25). With St. John Chrysostom’s words, “if you can’t find Christ in the beggar you won’t be able to find him in the chalice” ringing in their ears, our students venture into the streets of Cambridge and Chicago in groups of three, accompanied by a staff member, to share in a conversation, and perhaps a meal, with someone experiencing homelessness.
The primary goals of this activity are to foster an attitude of openness to seeing Christ in the neighbor we often overlook and to challenge young people’s assumptions and stigmas about those on the margins. We remind students that people want to be treated like people rather than objects to be helped or fixed. We encourage them to view service as a way of being in the world that expresses an openness to our neighbor, rather than just a project, charity case, or set of hours to put on a resume. Continue reading