Reflection on the foundations of our Christian faith, confession of God, the Father of Jesus Christ, and active participation in the Church are among the essential prerequisites for successful work in the Order; spirituality and hospitality form a unified foundation. The eight-pointed cross as a sign of the order refers to the eight beatitudes of Jesus‘ Sermon on the Mount. The Johanniter is encouraged by the biblical phrase from Ephesians:
„Above all, take hold of the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.“
The Johanniterorden („Balley Brandenburg des Ritterlichen Ordens St. Johannis vom Spital zu Jerusalem“) combines a time-tested tradition with necessary adaptation to the times. It will retain its strength and charisma if it does not cease to see itself as a spiritual order of knights. The basis of the existence of the Order of Saint John is the confession of Jesus Christ. Without the spiritual dimension, the Order would have been forgotten in its eventful history. The constant recollection of the spiritual mission of its members has preserved the Order’s charisma.
The members commit themselves to the dual mission of standing up for the faith and helping the sick and needy. In doing so, they follow Jesus‘ double commandment of love: You shall love God with all your heart and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Therefore, the Rule of the Johanniterorden stipulates, „The Johanniter lets himself be called where the need of the neighbor waits for his active love and the unbelief of the challenged for the testimony of his faith.“
The Johanniteroden and its charitable works deploy a large spectrum of different services: ambulance service, hospitals, out-patient services, child day-care centers, hospices and international aid, youth organization involved in volunteer work and much more. In Germany, the work done by the Johanniter is organized at around 800 locations, while the Balley and its institutions and charitable works pursue their activities at the international level in around 50 countries. Around 2,000,000 sponsors and donors support the work done by the Johanniter.