Module 7 Personal Reflection: Come, let us spoon

For several years I taught a course at another college called “Families and Poverty.” Though I am sure the students were spellbound by my captivating lectures and engaging stories, they typically referred to the 20-hour service learning requirement as the most meaningful aspect of the course. I initially thought the phrase “service learning” aptly captured the powerful insights gained from leaving the classroom and entering the community. When we set aside the textbooks and roll up our sleeves to serve, we learn important lessons about ourselves and others. But more than that, I have also come to believe that service learning helps us learn how to serve. Albert Schweitzer said, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

Acts of service, large or small, can be enduringly beneficial for those who give and those who receive. What we do is important. How we do what we do is also important. I remember reading a story about a little girl who entertained herself while setting the dining room table by interacting with the silverware as if the utensils were alive. She was especially drawn to the spoons, saying, “If I had to choose, I’d prefer to be a spoon. Forks are grabby and stabby. Knives are scary, they cut things quickly and sharply. But spoons just scoop up lots of stuff and pass it around. They are nice and smooth and they like to share.” The little girl pondered the tableware traits and decided she would rather be a spoon.

We often talk about service with a smile. Perhaps we should also talk about service with a spoon. Let us recall the servant spoons among us. You know who they are. You know how you feel when you are around them. They don’t grate or serrate against you. Their edges, even their rough ones, are not sharp or jagged. They can make a point without piercing you. They are careful to not stick their tines where they don’t belong.

What do spoons do? Spoons serve. They serve up generous portions around tables where family and friends are gathered. They fill the empty stomachs of those in a long soup kitchen line. They serve precise measurements of medicine to heal the sick. Spoons serve everyone in every circumstance and at every stage of life. They serve the baby girl her first bite of applesauce as her eyes brighten with delight. They serve the dying man his last bite of applesauce. With dimmed eyes and a contented smile, he savors the taste of a life well loved. Spoons serve simply. Spoons simply serve. Come, let us serve. Come, let us spoon.