“The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.” – Essex University Professor Dr. Xun Zhou
The President of Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, Mr. Earsing, echoed this solemn warning during the President’s Prayer Service
During the service on Thursday, September 15th, President Earsing elaborated on the idea of Jesuit being a “cultural island” and how we are called to act differently than the world around us, showing others the way to Christ. He then spoke of the evil that ravages the world, and related it back to the words of Dr. Xun Zhao presented above; he said, “Dr. Zhao made a statement that really hit me. She wrote, ‘The sad truth is that most evil is is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil.’” While the majority of his words were serious and mission oriented, he began his address in a rather odd fashion.
He began by saying, “My least favorite vegetable is broccoli. My dislike for broccoli is a bit odd, because there are many other vegetables that I like. My favorite vegetables – if you don’t count potatoes as a vegetable – would be brussel sprouts, cabbage, and asparagus. So why don’t I like broccoli? I don’t know, but it was my nemesis growing up.”
Initially, most were terribly confused, however as he continued, Mr. Earsing’s motives became clear upon saying, “We at Jesuit are called to be a person of Commitment so that we are capable of courageous action. Through our relationship with Jesus we are able to discern the needs of our world and make a positive difference.”
Being change agents for God: the overarching theme.
When asked to comment on the meaning of Mr. Earsing’s words, the Jesuit student body all seemed to feel differently about their call to make a difference. Ryan Macalanda ’18 commented, “I left the prayer service with a new perspective on what it means to be a Jesuit student and a man of God. When Mr. Earsing called us to be man of the 4 C’s (Conscience, Competence, Compassion, and Commitment), it really inspired me to act differently.”
Echoing Macalanda’s beliefs, Sloan Stefanek, ’18, noted, “I’m definitely going to try to stand up for what I believe in more often, it can be easy to stand by and let bad things happen. That’s how God calls us to be different, and that’s what Mr. Earsing was telling us.”
While many students responded similarly to Macalanda and Stefanek, some, like Nico Elizondo ’18, reacted in a more specific manner. “It can be difficult to do what God calls us to do, so I am going to work on trying to tell others about my religion more often,” he said.
Jake Ryan ’17 was most greatly motivated by Mr Earsing’s call to be competent, “competent in the traditional sense, referring to the academic dimension of skills and abilities that allow us to reach a level of professional performance that is fulfilling to us.” Ryan referenced these words saying, “Being fulfilled is a goal of mine, and Mr. Earsing said competence is the way to get there.
The staff got involved as well, and Coach Charlie Delong commented, “We are called to be different from the public, as Jesuit students and disciples.
Mr. Earsing concluded his speech by speaking directly to, “those of you who still sit quietly – I want you to pray for the courage to be a force of good. Men who have the ability to take a stand for what is right, for what is good, for what God is calling us to be as Men of Conscience, Competence, Compassion, and Commitment – Men for Others.”
