Recently I shared some of Sister Joan Chittister’s reflection in an essay she wrote on the options for Benedictines in our world today. She contrasts two books on that topic. One book by Rod Dreher suggests that the Benedictine monastic tradition is a withdrawal from a crazy, often sinful, world. Essentially, Chittister does not agree. I think she is correct; I have read Dreher’s book. It is an interesting take on the monastic tradition, but Chittister is a world-famous Benedictine, so I fully trust her. The other book is a forthcoming work by Patrick Henry, whom I know and trust.
Chittister’s essay is partly a review of the two books and partly reflections on her own experience of being Benedictine in the world. One of the things I shared in my previous blog was her take on community. She tells us that community “in Benedictine terms, is not a synonym for conformity, not a recipe for perfection, but a lifeline to the better.” I liked this so much that I entitled my piece, “Lifeline to the better.” That seems to me to be a great reason to affiliate with community. Community makes us so much better than we can manage on my own. I know this is true in my own case.
Chittister confirms this to be true. She says, “We are in community to learn from the other what we do not know and to supply for the other what they need. We are there to do together what we cannot possibly do alone…” After confirming this about community, she turns to tradition. I know how important tradition is for a Roman Catholic. I don’t deny that it is also important for non-Catholics, but not in the same way. Protestants, for example, were best known for their emphasis on scripture along---sola scriptura, as Martin Luther said. For a Catholic, tradition was in some ways just as important as scripture.
Tradition is the truths revealed to us since scripture was “closed,” that is no more books to be added to the New Testament. She says it “is a commitment to maintain the bedrock values of the past in ways that make them sensible today.” I like this perspective. She then chooses a wonderful image for tradition. She says it is a well…the “well of spirituality…from which the Benedictine draws.” As a Quaker, I can affirm this for myself. In fact, I feel double blessed. There is my own Quaker tradition and the larger Christian tradition.
Chittister then turns to one of the key aspects of Benedictine spirituality, namely, hospitality. Actually, it was the hospitality emphasis that originally drew me to this form of Christian spirituality. In the Rule of St Benedict, the monk is charged with receiving every guest as if he or she is Christ. This is quite a challenge. It challenges our prejudices and preferences. It is easy to believe and difficult to live. But it is an aspiration for me.
She calls hospitality “the bridge between the monastery and the world.” This is another wonderful image. While most of us will never live in a monastery, I think we may need bridges, too. We need bridges into those parts of our world that we never visit and frequently ignore. I think about the poor, disadvantaged, etc. I know my own life is structured so I don’t have to deal with those segments of society if I choose not to do it. In fact, my world has often structured things, so I don’t have to think about it. Consider the practice of redlining. This approach to housing typically meant non-whites were assigned to particular parts of a city. Of course, there was no visible red line, but realtors and everyone else knew where those lines were.
Interestingly, Chittister says that hospitality welcomes the world and “refuses to allow the community to grow stale.” Put this way is ironic, because she is claiming that we are hospitable to keep us from becoming stale and withering away spiritually speaking. Hospitality is an extension of community by opening the door, so to speak. And it also builds the bridges that are so important to us and the world.
Chittister deals with a couple other issues of Benedictine spirituality and then concludes with what she calls the spiritual life. She says the spiritual life is the essence of Benedictine life. Then she describes the spiritual life. She notes “It's rhythm, its central magnet, its real taste of life lies in a life that is steeped — daily, always, regularly, deeply — in the awareness of the presence of God here and now, the call of God always in our souls, the will of God ever before us, the path to God shining in the life around us.” I long for this kind of life.
It is to live in the awareness of the presence of God. This resonates with my own Quaker spirit and many others, I’m sure. It presupposes that God has a call on our soul always. What would it be like to be not only aware of this call, but attentive? Pay attention! If we are alert, we will know that God’s will is always in front of us---pulling us into the “more” of a future than we can manage on our own. Quakers talk about the light within. I think this is the way we see the path to God that awaits all of us.
I am going to choose the Benedictine option indicated by Chittister.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/religious-life/column/where-i-stand/benedictine-options-escape-or-experience-essence
Those of us who have read theology or, perhaps, those who are people of faith and are old enough might well recognize this title as a reminder of the late Jewish philosopher and theologian, Martin Buber. I remember reading Buber’s book, I and Thou , when I was in college in the 1960s. It was already a famous book by then. I am not sure I fully understood it, but that would not be the last time I read it. It has been a while since I looked at the book. Buber came up in a conversation with a friend who asked if I had seen the recent article by David Brooks? I had not seen it, but when I was told about it, I knew I would quickly locate and read that piece. I very much like what Brooks decides to write about and what he contributes to societal conversation. I wish more people read him and took him seriously. Brooks’ article focused on the 2016 contentious election. He provocatively suggests, “Read Buber, Not the Polls!” I think Brooks puts
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