STAFF EDITOR Jenny Roemer recently sat down for a discussion with Justin Byrd, Emily Snead, and Catherine Hellman, three young people who've given some specific thought to this week's cover topic. Justin works for a national after-school education program, with offices in low-income communities throughout the country. He also teaches after-school education in Boston. Emily is currently in her sophomore year at Northeastern University and is studying environmental science. Catherine is working on her master's degree in intercultural service, leadership, and management from The School for International Training. Her background is in youth development, and this last year, she worked with refugee youth in Atlanta, most of whom come from Africa or countries in Asia that are in conflict.

Jenny: We're talking today about living a life that blesses others. On a fundamental level, why would someone make the decision to follow Jesus' example? What's the motivation for walking that path? Because, often, it doesn't seem easy.

Catherine: The thing that has always come to me in relation to this topic is from the Bible. Jesus tells his disciples, "Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8). And this idea has actually been kind of an inspiration to me throughout my undergrad and graduate studies. God gives us blessings freely every day, and so the way we pay Him back is by giving to others. That's really what motivates me. Also, to me, service is actually a way of proving that God is real. He's here now, and loving each one of us.

Emily: You know, it really makes me feel better when I give more than I receive. I think there's more inspiration to be found when you're in a giving mode, especially when you don't expect to receive anything in return. If my college friends come over and they're hungry, I open my fridge for them. Even though I have a grocery budget for the week, knowing that I won't be impoverished by giving out of love really helps me out. Realizing that God's infinite resources are available to me is comforting.

There's a spiritual law of supply that comes directly from God that I can lean on. And I use the idea that there are infinite resources a lot in my major, environmental science. I think we do have to figure out how to use Earth's resources properly, so everyone is blessed.

Jenny: Emily, you've reminded me of a quote from Science and Health, "Giving does not impoverish us in the service of our Maker, neither does withholding enrich us" (p. 79). I was also thinking about the unconditional love that God has for us. And if, in fact, God does love us unconditionally, which is what Christian Science teaches, and if we aren't doing good works to earn His love, why do we do them anyway?

Justin: Well, I have a practical answer for you. Last year, I started looking at some of the community organizations here in Boston, and I got a job working for the Pine Street Inn, which provides people who are homeless with shelter and community services. I loved working there, but not because I felt like God was loving me more because of my efforts. I actually was learning so much from working with individuals who were living on the street. It was like we were there together to support each other and to care for one another.

When we look at certain communities or segments of society, we tend to see people who don't have many things, and we feel pity. But I've often felt that just getting to know the people at that shelter helped me grow.

Catherine: At one point, I taught indigenous yough out on a small island in the middle of the Bering Sea in Alaska. It was a ton of fun, and the kids were great. I still talk about what I learned from the kids and what I learned about God in the process. So I almost feel like when we live to give, we're actually not only learning more about ourselves, but we're also learning about God during the same experience.

Emily: Recently, when I was going through a challenging time, I saw how important it was to stay in a "giving mode." One way I did this was to give whatever I could to my little sister, like inspirational thoughts and love. I'd call her every day. We tried to figure out together what we were trully grateful for. I really feel that's helped us flourish, and I think it's strengthened our relationship. We're best friends now, and I can tell her things that I wouldn't tell other people.

Jenny: How do you deal with moments of feeling burdened or discouraged—just a sense of fatigue, maybe, that comes with being of service?

Justin: One of the really cool things about Christian Science is that you're coming from the standpoint of looking at the spiritual idea of everything and everyone. There's always plenty of work to do in that area.

For instance, as a teacher you may have a diagnosis that is being presented to you mentally—this child is not smart; this child has family issues; this child grew up on the wrong side of the city. And I think as a Christian Scientist, it's nice not to give authority or power to what is being said. Instead, I'm trying to hold on to the idea that we're all complete as God's expression. We're all innocent, and I'm working at knowing that every day in my prayers. When I do that, then I don't limit people to their material circumstances, but I see something more substantial and spiritual.

Catherine: Once I relinquish a sense of human will—"This Kid just needs to listen, and handle his/her life this way!"—I realize each person has unique lessons to learn, and we can't do the learning for them. Also, that as I give, I don't have to control when and how the giving benefits others ...

Jenny: ... because if you're trying to bless others by forcing them to conform to what you think they should be doing, that's a pretty tough task, even if it's well intentioned.

Catherine: Exactly.

Jenny: So, what are some potential roadblocks to being of service?

Catherine: Some times the first thing that comes to mind is money. This idea that there's no money in a life of service to others. But I've found that when I serve God, the money's there, and the income is there. But the supply doesn't just come in the form of money. It comes in the form of specific and useful blessings.

Emily: I guess a huge problem I face that conflicts with my want to be of service is time. I usually have tons of things to do. I work two part-time jobs, and I'm a full-time student. I'm in a couple of extracurricular clubs and have friends to hang out with. But every time I really pray about it, it always comes back to me that time is a material concept. And that I can't be tempted to turn away from helping others out of fear that I won't be able to complete a task for myself.

The more I study Christian Science, the more I understand God, and then the more I can give as His reflection. And the more I'm able to exude the Christ through my character. Praying has actually helped me prioritize. Lately, as I've prayed, I haven't been pressed for time for anything.

Jenny: In the Bible, when Jesus finds his soon-to-be disciples fishing, he says to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." And it says, "They straightway left their nets, and followed him" (see Matt. 4:18-20). I've often thought, OK, so they dropped their nets and followed. But was it that simple? I mean, here they were leaving, perhaps, a career that was thriving, and maybe there was a sense of uncertainly following the Christ. But they did it anyway. And they must have done it because their hearts responded in a big way.

Catherine: Sometimes it seems hard to drop our nets and go, especially when it feels like we might be impoverished or something might be taken away from us. But I remember when I first moved up to Alaska, I worked in an after-school program, and I was doing an activity with the kids. We were talking about giving or doing something for somebody, and this little girl looked at me and said, "Why should I give to someone, when they don't give to me?" And I remember thinking, "How do I respond to that?" She had a valid point.

But the next thing that came to me, was to ask her, "Well, why not give?" And the little girl didn't really have a response. She sat and thought about it. It was a real lesson to me: Why not give? It's really easy to just think about ourselves. It's really easy to just think about how everything is affecting us in our little bubbles. But how much more fulfilling is it to go and give to somebody else! How much better is it to give to someone who really needs "a cup of cold water in Christ's name" (Science and Health, p. 570).

Jenny: I'm also thinking of the story in the Bible of Jonah and the whale, where he was told by God that he needed to go preach at Nineveh, and he did the exact opposite. He was afraid. He got on a ship headed for Tarshish and fled, trying to, in effect, "escape the blessing." And I wondered if any of you have ever had a "Jonah and the whale" moment.

Justin: When do I not? [laughter] Every day, your own human will tries to get in the picture, and it's arguing for you to fight for yourself, to do your own thing. The story of Jonah shows that sometimes these choices aren't of our own doing. Jonah didn't turn the boat around—the whale came in and swallowed him. He had to face up to his purpose. So I like the idea that it's not just me. There's this higher power present. And even if I make mistakes, or do the wrong thing at some point, there is that guiding presence, God, that's always there.

As far as the kids I teach, I don't have perfect answers. I'm trying to learn how to avoid having power struggles with the students. Many times, I wonder if I've been too tough or too lenient in terms of discipline. And I find in these moments, it's helpful to set aside my own reasoning and listen to what divine Truth and Love have to say.

Jenny: Emily, I was wondering if, as a college student, there are times when you might be more focused on yourself, because you're homing in on what you want to do with your life?

Emily: Yeah, and it's really hard sometimes to keep service at the front of my thoughts. But I'm really fortunate enough to have a really close connection to my church at home, just 15 miles away. Every time I go back to Sunday School, or go back to church, the spirit of what Christian Science is about kind of gets revived within me. I actually made the decision to join my branch church when I was in middle school because I wanted to give back, to get involved in something besides school.

I've often thought, "Wow, Christian Science is amazing. I can apply this to every single aspect of my life." A lot of my friends at college, too, aren't necessarily Christian Scientists, but they are really open to spiritual ideas. And I feel like the more I study the Bible and Science and Health, the more I can share and give about how I feel and what my insights are.

Catherine: Whatever I do, I try to figure out how I can best be of service. That often is my prayer when I go into a situation. I take a moment, and I stop. It's that concept of, "Beholding the infinite tasks of truth, we pause,—wait on God" (Science and Health, p. 323), and then going forward, I say, "OK, God, how can I be of the best service to You right here?"

Jenny: I like what you're all saying. And when we think about giving as reflecting God, then we're just naturally responding to spiritual law. To what makes the universe work. And if we look at it that way, it's really the most natural thing we could be doing! css