One day, while reflecting on their experience living with Muslim families in the southern part of Thailand, one student shared: “I was afraid to come here because I had heard many bad things about Muslims. After staying with them for some days, I realised that they are very kind, even sometimes better than myself.” Another student said: “After living with the villagers, now I know how blessed I am. I will not complain about my life anymore.” And another said, “I will no longer use plastic utensils because these things destroy our environment.”
These were a few of the students’ realisations after joining the Xavier Hall student camps. Participants usually come back from the experience with an awareness and willingness to change their attitudes and perceptions because of their first-hand experience with social realities. Sometimes, students are not able to acquire these kinds of learning experiences from their classes in the universities. They need an opportunity to reflect on their attitudes and assumptions by immersing themselves with people and communities that are different from them. Xavier Hall tries to provide this kind of space and time for students because, as Jesuits, we want to walk together with young people, especially in the “beginning” of their life journey.
Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ invites Jesuits and all those who work with and support us to accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future. The focus here is not to teach young people what to do, but to walk together with them in their life journey. This means that we share in their joys and sorrows, and learn together with them about life. By walking with them, we are able to impart our experiences, while they can also share what they know and have. The purpose is to open our hearts and minds, and widen our horizon, not for the sake of ourselves, but so we can be men and women for and with others, especially those who are in need.
Walking with the youth is not an easy journey. There are many challenges, especially in this time of pandemic and post-pandemic. How do we accompany young people who have become more and more comfortable staying in the digital world? It remains a difficult question how we can enter into this kind of world without losing some of our values.
As our society becomes increasingly virtual, providing opportunities for direct and real experiences also becomes more significant. We want young people to be able to understand the issues around them, to become engaged citizens, to open themselves to the kindness of Muslims, the suffering of the villagers, the cry of our environment, and many other real life experiences that can broaden their hearts and minds. This is our homework to provide space and time for the youth to enter into deeper life experiences, and to walk with them in this journey.
Fr Sigit Setyo Wibowo SJ is an Indonesian Jesuit working in Thailand. He is the Director of Student Chaplaincy at Xavier Hall, and the Coordinator of Magis Thailand.