By Rev. Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13

Spirituality is a word that is used a lot and yet it can be hard to define. Meaning, belonging, purpose, connection, belief and action all play a part. Robust spirituality embraces a rhythm between the inner and the outer life. We nurture who we are through connecting with God, ourselves, others and the world around us. This, in turn, leads us to look outwards as we engage and offer what we have to others. One of the joys of being a chaplain is accompanying people of different ages and backgrounds on a path of spiritual formation, where ideas are explored, community is built and moments of quiet and stillness in Godly Play, chapels and other settings are embraced.

At Radford College, we have a service philosophy based on coming alongside others. Service is done with others, never to or for them. As our students begin another school year, the opportunities for service abound and we wish them all the best in the connections they will make. It was great to see students at the Lifeline Book Fair last weekend making sure that customers were served, and everything was where it needed to be.

The Australians of the Year Awards are a great way to celebrate exemplary acts of service in the broader community. It was fantastic to see Canberrans Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello, co-founders of the social enterprise Café Stepping Stone, recognised as recipients of the Local Hero award. Since opening, Café Stepping Stone has employed over sixty migrant and refugee women at their two sites at Strathnairn Arts and Dickson. If you are looking for a place to have coffee or lunch this weekend, consider giving them a visit.

St Valentine, whose feast day is celebrated today, reminds us of the connection between spirituality and service. He is also an example of the cost that can come with living a life of conviction. A priest from third-century Rome, Valentine’s steadfast commitment to sharing his faith eventually led to his death. Many legends are associated with St Valentine. One of the more subversive legends involves Valentine defying official orders by marrying Christian couples in secret. If a man married, he was entitled to a year’s leave and could avoid conscription in the Roman army. Valentine provides an ancient example of the tension between church and state and witness to the desire that love, and not empire, should have the final word.