“A chance to reflect on what we want to grow in our lives”

In March and April this year, Alexandre Mayor and a group of Christian organizations are running a consumer detox known as Détox’ la Terre (“Detox our Planet”), a name that’s more New-Age environmentalist than strictly religious in its connotations – and that’s less off-putting than the words “diet” or “abstinence.” The initiative, launched a few years ago by two former students at the nearby University of Lausanne (UNIL), encourages participants to reduce their environmental footprint by rethinking their habits and practices in one or more of the following areas: food, transportation, housing, shopping and digital technology.

“People can focus on whatever they like,” says Mayor. “If someone is fed up with watching YouTube videos every night until the early hours, they can go on a digital detox. Someone else might decide they want to plan their next vacation with sustainability in mind.”

It’s also an exercise in congruence: recognizing what things are really worth, giving up those of lesser value and nurturing those that we truly prize.

Mayor explains that the initiative aims to help participants “find relief, light-heartedness and joy in a way that’s a little introspective but also fun. It’s about learning to live within planetary boundaries and reflecting on what really fills our hearts. It’s also an exercise in congruence: recognizing what things are really worth, giving up those of lesser value and nurturing those that we truly prize.”

“Cultivating an ecology of the heart”

Everyone who signs up for the detox will receive a handbook containing suggested actions in various areas, along with a road map entitled Pour cultiver une écologie du cœur (“Cultivating an Ecology of the Heart”). The School’s spiritual care service is also running meetings, games and meditation sessions to help participants “step back, reflect on, and ultimately overcome” the emotional challenges associated with detoxing.

The detox period coincides with Lent, which makes sense from a Christian perspective. But that’s not what matters most to Mayor: “The end of winter was traditionally a time when communities of faith would pull together. People ate less so that everyone could share what remained of the reserves ahead of the next harvest. The advent of spring marks the start of new cycle, a new beginning. But we could have just as easily run the initiative in the fall.”

“Slowly phasing out meat”

On a personal note, Mayor has been “slowly phasing out meat” from his diet since he began observing the annual consumer detox: “It’s happened gradually, even outside the detox periods, without me really realizing it. It’s a painless way for me to reduce my environmental footprint without sacrificing my love for food.”

This shift sits well with the personality of a man who says he’s “always dreamed of living several lives.” Mayor joined EPFL in 2016, when he decided it was a good time to make this change, after spending a decade as a parish priest in northern Vaud. “At that point, I felt I was still just about ‘in touch’ enough to understand youth culture,” he recalls. His curiosity brought him back to Lausanne, the same city where he’d obtained his theology degree at UNIL. As part of his program, he spent a year in Manchester. “As an exchange student, I saw how chaplaincies could provide much-needed connection and social contact,” he says.

In his current role, Mayor is involved in a wide range of programs and initiatives: as well as running the School’s gospel choir, he leads week-long “review bubble” sessions to help prepare small groups of students for their exams. He also spends his weekends leading excursions into nature and organizing soccer matches between EPFL and UNIL community members and migrants living in the local area. “I feel privileged to work in a job that creates so many connections between people,” he says with a smile.

A listening ear

Another side of Mayor’s role is to provide individual care and support. As part of EPFL’s Trust and Support Network, the spiritual care service offers a listening ear: “We’re here to serve everyone. We aren’t an exclusive club open only to Christians. Some people don’t know that, and that can act as a barrier. Generally, people come to us for matters of meaning and purpose. But community members can equally talk to us about stress, relationships and sorts of other things that make up the rich tapestry of life.”

Facing up to difficult truths can be unpleasant at first. But, with time, it can become a constructive, even joyful experience.

Although Mayor has plenty on his plate, he admits to being somewhat frustrated that the consumer detox initiative has so far attracted little attention and engagement from the EPFL community. “Many people simply don’t care about environmental issues at all, although others are much more conscious,” he says. “Some even claim that, because they already live so frugally, detoxing wouldn’t make much difference. But that doesn’t negate the value of asking the right questions.”

For Mayor, individual action is the only way forward: “We can’t keep living the way we do now while we wait for politicians and businesses to act. To believe that’s the answer is to lie to ourselves, personally and collectively. Facing up to difficult truths can be unpleasant at first. But, with time, it can become a constructive, even joyful experience.”