Uncommon Courage

I believe Sister Joan Chittister is a prophetic voice in our day! She challenges me, makes me feel very uncomfortable when she writes in her book, The Time is NOW: a Call to Uncommon Courage: “And you? What will you do here and now, in this world, in our time? Simply stand there looking on?” (p. 26)

Of course, I want to plead: “But Joan, there is so much! Our world is on the brink of disaster, civil breakdown, planetary ruin, hunger, greed, violence, sexism and more! Huge happenings: pandemics, genocide, nuclear threats, environmental disasters of all kinds—hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, on and on…”

And YOU? You who may be listening to/reading me: “What will YOU do here and now, in this world, in our time?” Do you feel very uncomfortable too? So inadequate? Just one little person?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who died recently, said one little person is important because “the antidote to violence is conversation!”

“Really?” we contest.

Then, I thought of our former St. Cloud mayor, Dave Kleis! For years he had been testing the truth of that suggestion! He invited citizens to his home for his homemade chili and ice cream cake gatherings. Anyone could sign up—the only stipulation was that he did not accept anyone who had already been seen around his table! His plan? To have a stranger meet the stranger in one another!

Mayor Kleis knew his people and he knew that fear can more easily be silenced by heart-to-heart listening to one another over good food. He knew that ideas emerge out of camaraderie! He knew that the Spirit in each guest could be acknowledged and that, therein, we could enter into the challenges of our community today! What he had done took uncommon courage on his part!

Can you, dear reader, or I continue to simply stand here looking on? What will we do, here and now, in this world, in our time?

Renee Domeier, OSB

Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash