CREDIT: ISTOCK (SDI PRODUCTIONS)
Opinion: Don’t underestimate the personal rewards you can find in serving others.

One of the images I’ve been thinking about lately comes from a story within a story within the larger narrative presented in the Christian Bible. It is the image of Jesus washing the feet of his closest friends, usually called ‘disciples’, which means more or less, apprentices. I think that this image can help people find a path towards better mental and emotional health.

In the first century Jewish community, in which Jesus was active, it was customary for a host to have his servant wash the feet of guests as they arrived. Travel was usually on sandaled feet. Visitors would be tired or footsore. So, a foot washing was a way for the host to say, ‘Welcome, relax’.

In this scene, though, it is not a household servant doing the foot washing. It is Jesus. He clearly explains why he is doing this. It is to reveal to his followers how they are to relate to each other. They are not to try to dominate but to serve.

The biblical stories of the disciples leave no doubt that they quarrelled, sometimes bickering about who was the most important among them (most of us can probably relate). Therefore, Jesus taught them that people who wish to live properly as he and God intend must not try to ‘lord it over’ others. They must look out for the interests of those others.

There has been a misunderstanding on this point. The 19th century critic, Frederick Nietzsche, brought a complaint against Jesus and Christianity. He thought that Christianity humiliated humans, causing them to live in mutual servitude without allowing anyone to truly excel. He misunderstood (or perhaps intentionally falsified) both Jesus and Christianity on this score. If Nietzsche was right, we would be correct in concluding that Christianity contributes to mental health problems.

However, I think that the image of Jesus serving his disciples can help put us on a path of mental and emotional well being. Here is what I mean.

It is very possible for any of us to become overly absorbed in our own self-care. According to many, life is first of all about one’s own fulfilment. And so the chase begins. We go on the hunt for thrilling relationships, for exciting careers, for material possessions of which we can be proud, and for travel and entertainment experiences that leave us in awe.

It seems to me that the mental health consequences of this pattern for living are not beneficial, or even benign or neutral. It’s an approach that brings a restlessness, a constant FOMO (fear of missing out), not to mention, higher debt loads, revolving door relationships, susceptibility to pop-up ads, and loss of connection with our families, along with the mental health difficulties that are part of that package.

I would say that a key aspect to being mentally healthy is to step away from our own interests and to consider how to help someone else. When I started university I signed up for a volunteer program to help educational assistants working with children who had learning difficulties. Once a week I would meet with students and assist them with school work. I was totally surprised by how much I liked it! Connecting with the children and working with the education assistants gave me a great feeling of fulfillment.

Did this experience help pull me out of self-absorption? Absolutely. Did it raise the level of my own mental health, even just a little? No question.

I’m not saying that everyone needs to help kids with learning challenges. Each person, I think, can find a path of serving others that meshes with her own strengths.

So, maybe you can consider what opportunities there are around campus and elsewhere for you to do something that is focused on the needs of other people. It might be assisting someone with English as a second language. It could be serving on a student committee, fund raising for a charity, or getting involved with the London chapter of Habitat for Humanity. It might mean helping low-income people with their tax returns, as a friend of mine does.

Time spent helping others can mean discovering things about yourself that will always serve you well. It could be a path to discovering great people. And it might mean less anxiety, depression or FOMO, and a greater sense of balance as you navigate life.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.