The old Mayan woman passionately spoke. Her words were delivered so rapidly that her translator almost struggled to keep up. Chona, a Mayan widow of the Guatemalan Civil War, retold the story of her village and its hero.
In May of 2013, Guatemala welcomed Furman’s Global Sustainability May Experience Class. The trip offered us the chance to relax occasionally (tropical hot springs, anyone?) but more often work hard (moving boulders). It led to beautiful friendships as well as shattering realizations. No member of our team returned to the United States unchanged.
My personal epiphany occurred during Chona’s talk. As she retold the painful history of her home, San Lucas Tolíman, and the impact one man had on it, I was overcome. Catholic Father Greg, recently passed, was the hero of San Lucas. A United States citizen, Father Greg began his work in San Lucas during the long civil war conflict in Guatemala. When he began, San Lucas was in desperate poverty. The woman described the darkness of the town’s past with inadequate sanitation, health care, land rights, etc. The life of the indigenous Guatemalan at that time was grim. According to her memory, things began to change with the arrival of the visionary Padre Greg. One at a time, key services were brought to San Lucas. A health clinic, a center for women, an orphanage, a church library, etc. were all projects he saw to completion. Today, residents of San Lucas Tolíman have a standard of living far exceeding the standard at the time of Greg’s arrival. He lived the greater part of his life in the service of the Guatemalan people and his work made a tangible difference.
Chona reawakened the dreamer inside of me. Her stories restored my faith in the power that one passionate person has to impact the world. She reminded me that, at this college crossroads, I had the choice to become an agent of change. Her message is relevant for all Furman students. There is a path for your visions of change. For the upperclassmen, recall freshman year. It was a year marked by exciting new intellectual and emotional realizations. Professors and books exposed us to the realities of the world’s stark needs and inequalities. Fueled by sudden independence of mind and being, we are filled with grand ideas for social progress. In this raw moment of enlightenment, how did we respond? To all dreamers, when we see problems and hold passionate solutions, do we turn away? According to popular wisdom, to turn away is perfectly acceptable. “Be pragmatic.” “Plan for the future.” “Don’t waste your talent.” “Don’t you want enough money to enjoy retirement?” “What can one person do, anyway?” “It isn’t as easy to change the world as you seem to think it is.” The weight of these doubts is enough to subdue any thought of long-term public service. The image of a steady, predictable, and respectable job may seem more inviting than the uncertain and possibly dangerous life of a teacher, non-profit administrator, missionary, or other public servant. Would any sane and successful Furman student surrender a stable life for the unknown?
After all, what can one person really do in the face of such large problems?
Think of Padre Greg. He made a difference. His life was and is an inspiration.
For further evidence, consider the life of Dr. Bruce Clemens, friend of Father Greg and fearless leader of our May X crew. Following college graduation, Dr. Clemens headed south where he got to work co-founding a sustainable water organization. Using his knowledge of engineering and business, Dr. Clemens assisted in the creation of a Guatemalan-run non-profit that has now built more than 900 clean water projects. He used his higher education for the advancement of oppressed indigenous peoples. As he often says, “Way cool!”
All these years of analyzing and learning can be applied beyond the stiff confinement of typical, steady employment. What we are learning now at Furman can be used to improve lives.
To all those wrestling with the choice between service or a financially lucrative career, please hear the hope proclaimed by the lives of Father Greg and Dr. Clemens. Do you dare to tell pragmatism to take a seat? Can you dedicate your thoughtful mind and an active heart to something greater than yourself? As far as we know, we have but one life. Let us all be inspired to make the most of it in the manner of these Guatemalan heroes.