This reflection is adapted from a letter to the editor of “Sozialcourage” magazine produced by Caritas Germany.

From the understanding that we are interconnected as part of the whole
Our sense of separation only occurs in our thinking
Empathy has been instilled in us from the very beginning
An inner richness that wants to be developed by us
And where we love greatly, we also encounter God
As Paul says in the New Testament – Without love, nothing is possible…

Volunteering invites us to realise something, to give this world a new hope
I have time for you, to understand you, to want to serve you in a way that was not possible before
Human beings are oriented toward a “You”
This “You” gives the living feeling of acceptance and security
There is someone for whom I am truly important
Who wants to accompany me on my way
No matter how things are going

They do it simply because their heart desires it.

As a volunteer, I was able to experience this in my voluntary service for more than 17 years at St. Anna House in Mannheim, Casterfeld. Encounters on equal footing, getting to know each other, resulting in an intimate attentiveness. That in our true human existence, there are no differences. A togetherness that leaves traces in our innermost being, wherever we may go.

This togetherness is also a glue that holds our society together. It clarifies how much we are oriented toward a “You,” where a vibrant “We” experience can be realised.

Everyone serves with their gifts. And what we, as volunteers, give, is also bestowed upon us in the realisation of our true human existence, for which we were created by God – to be a light in this world, to comfort those who hunger and thirst, who feel abandoned.

In the end, we can say: Yes, I have truly loved greatly and followed what Jesus has exemplified for all of us – to be a sister and brother to the other.