Growing up, I was taught to envision heaven as a place where people sat at rows of long tables
with the most delicious food in front of them. The catch being the spoons were too big to feed
yourself. However, the spoon was long enough to feed the person across from you. That was
heaven, where the way to feed yourself was to first make sure you fed your neighbor. I think
this example best describes the Wesley Center and the core mission it strives to achieve, and
not just because a lot of the programming involves delicious food.
When I first walked into the Wesley Center, I was not sure what I was in for, I just knew I was
looking to be spiritually fed, some desire/need inside of me that was not being met. I found
that and much more. The beauty of being in community is that when I was fed, the intrinsic
response is that I was also able to help someone else get what they were looking for. My time
at the Wesley Center was made up of wonderful individuals who each brought their own
amazing skill or talents to the table. Many not knowing what they were bringing or that they
were bringing something that someone else would be needing. Friendships and connections
developed organically and a true family was built around seeking hard truths and opening
ourselves up to each other and the wider world around us.
The Wesley Center does amazing work. There is an unwavering commitment to building a
community of students who are passionate, caring, generous, and firmly rooted in a sense of
self that brings peace. I know that not only my college experience, but also who I am since
leaving, has been forever changed by time at the Wesley Center. There will be many students
yet to come who deserve the same chance to seek and find just like I did.