Leave it to Sister Joan Chittister to tell it like it is. I have long admired this Benedictine Sister of the Benedictine monastery in Erie, PA, where I once had the privilege of speaking. The only disappointing thing about that experience was Sr. Joan was out of town and did not show up. I did not care whether she was there to listen to me, but I did want to greet her and maybe even spend a little bit of time chatting.
Joan Chittister has been a Benedictine nun for a long time now. She is a prolific writer and commentator on the spiritual life and the Church---Catholic and otherwise. She has been a modern day prophet in our midst. Sr. Joan has one foot in the scriptural witness to the life and ministry of Jesus and the other foot in our contemporary world with all of its problems and promises. For those who think Jesus may not be speaking to our world, I would counter that perhaps Jesus speaks through people, such as Joan Chittister. Perhaps she is the proper spokesperson and not the ecclesiastical authorities. It’s worth considering. I share some of her most recent thoughts as evidence.
In a recent speech to the Communicators of Women Religious, Chittister lays it on the line. In the beginning “Chittister recounted her own naiveté in believing that change would come once people understood social imbalances, the second-class status of women, the marginalization of people of color and the theological deviance of clericalism.” In effect, she thought that knowledge would dispel any doubt as to the direction the church need to grow. But then she said, “I got it.” This leads to unfortunate conclusions.
She lists a disappointing array of issues that she now “gets.” Let’s look at these, because they should all concern us---both within the church and beyond. She laments, “There really are forces that are working consciously against cultural change." She is absolutely right. If our world is going to address problems, then there has to be cultural change. And that does not come easy---especially for those of us who seemingly have it all. But we likely don’t think we have it all. And that is part of the problem.
She continues her critique with a long, but telling, couple of sentences. "Built into society, it seems, is the wanton destruction of creation for the sake of personal profit. The casual dismissal of scientific concern for the care of the Earth, the ongoing destruction of nature for money, and the gall to enshrine a minimum wage rather than provide a living wage, and under it all, a new political goal: the increasing concern by politicians to create a political base for themselves in order to retain their seats for years rather than secure the future of the country.” Of course, it is possible to debate this. But I am convinced.
It is important to understand that she does not necessarily undermine capitalism. But I would argue that it is capitalism with a modern focus that should count. We are already witnessing many capitalists arguing that we should not only consider profits as the sole determiner of success. There needs to be a corollary commitment to the social responsibility factor. This would see profit and eradication of poverty as both important. Profit and caring for our fragile earth are both goals of our life and work.
Chittister then turns to an interesting discussion of Jesus, who obviously stands at the center of the Christian understanding. We can summarize her position with this observation, “The popular embrace of ‘Jesus the healer’ has obscured the more radical Jesus, who challenged the status quo and religious leaders of his time.” Much can be said for Jesus the healer. Healing was a significant ministry he offered to a whole range of people. But Chittister is correct. This is only half the story.
The other half is Jesus the radical, as she calls him. This is the Jesus who was the critique of the status quo---the Sadducees and Pharisees, whom Christians love to parody. She is the one who sided with the poor and the down and out. He challenged the rich and famous. Switching to today, those of us with much---and much to lose---may find this Jesus a little too much.
I admire Chittister’s ability to put it poignantly. She declares, “We live in an era that accepts half of what it means to follow Jesus…We want our religion in a spiritual Jacuzzi, a feel-good spiritual world.” I can laugh, but it is a painful laugh. I wince because I have to see if my religion is the real deal or is it a version of a spiritual jacuzzi. As long as I am ministering, I am offering a nice bath or a refreshing dose of reality!
When I think about the widening gap between the rich and the poor, about climate change or about the nature of politics these days, I have to admit a spiritual jacuzzi is not where appropriate change is going to happen. And we may even be to the place where appropriate change is going to have to be drastic change. Climate-wise, is it going to be a planet fit for my grandkids? That is just one serious question.
Maybe our choice is jacuzzi or wake-up call.
https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/people/chittister-model-jesus-healer-only-half-christian-dispensation
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