― John Green
It was only a year ago that I was sitting in the pew of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart beside other freshman as we listened to the wise upperclassmen talk about their college experience and what awaited us. Moments later, guided by our candles we would gather to pray together at the grotto, like freshmen grotto trip tradition holds. Here we were in this ensemble, this new community- yet I didn’t feel like I was connected. It was this feeling that haunted my first couple weeks at Notre Dame.
In my head, I had this image of what a Notre Dame person was. This person was organized, well dressed, and responsible. They were overly involved in athletics, performing arts, and service. They were engaging and intelligent. Although I didn’t consider myself “good enough” to fit the Notre Dame mold, I had expected my classmates be perfect models of this Notre Dame ideal.
Soon after my arrival, I realized that my new floor mates and soon to be friends were not perfect robots, but real people. They had struggles- with classes, with their families, with finances, and their relationships. At first I was thrown. I had a hard time reconciling these human people with my image who I had thought my college friends would be. I spent the first few weeks feeling oddly disconnected.
Over time, I began to realize it that was through these flaws that the connections were made. It was hugging my friends as they sobbed or laughing at them when they did something ridiculous, where our connections were fostered. Our friendships were made while listening to their fears and staying up late sharing secrets. The more I began to know my friends, the more of a community we made.
God has given us all a beautiful call to community. We crave friendship and connections. But the call to community is also a call to honesty. We come before each other and before God as real people, not superficial models of overachieving college students.
My rectress recently reminded us during a hall meeting this week, that the foundations of building a community rest in Micah 6:8- “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God.”
In our call to community, God isn’t asking us to be perfect Notre Dame students. He is only asking us to do what is right, to love each other as humans, and to follow our God. We all come as we are and love each for who we are. These words are some of my favorite and are reflected in one of my favorite church songs “We are Called” by David Haas (note the title of this blog… and my about page…). Our call to community is the same as our call to discipleship. After all, look at Jesus. He didn’t surround himself with saints and good men. He was with tax collectors and fishermen. The man he chose to carry on after him, denounced him three times. Jesus did not surround himself with perfect disciples, but real people.
In learning this, I realized that I didn’t have to hold myself to high standards of being that perfect Notre Dame student, but only to being my self- my beautifully flawed self. And I let my friends hug me as I cried and I told them my secrets and my worries- and in doing so I made the final link the connection- myself.
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