The tenets of the Service Immersion Program are all very important. The rankings that I have assigned are assembled like a house, the top can't exist without the foundation and the entire structure can't exist without all of the pieces. Spirituality, service, community, intentional living, and social justice are the components that make up the house of the Immersion Program. .
Spirituality and service are very closely linked. It is a humbling experience to serve someone else that is in need. I ranked service and spirituality number one because they represent the foundation. I think that spirituality is a personal growth. Once someone has grown personally they can then attempt to share their experiences and gifts with others. This is what I call service. Service involves helping, sharing, and encouraging, others in their current situations. Once the foundation is laid, then different layers and pieces can be built on top.
Community and intentional living is the next layer. While serving others you may learn about a person's life or family but intentional living allows you to experience a walk in someone else's shoes. You are able to understand the hardships, struggles, and simple joys of life that you might not be able to experience in America. After seeing how others live, you will have a new outlook on the community. You will develop bonds and relationships with people that you may not have had before if you were not able to witness their daily struggles in life through intentional living. Community and intentional living bring two different types of people together to share their life experiences and encourage one another in the process.
Through social justice, the finishing touches are made to the house. Social justice combines the experiences of spirituality, service, community, and intentional living together to create change. Personal growth, humility, encouragement, and community involvement all help to widened people's thoughts and perspectives on the injustices that face many groups of people.
