A Silent Momentum
by Melinda McDonald, CSJP
Message from Congregation Leadership.
God reminds Job how the dawn transforms the earth:
“Forms take shape like clay beneath the seal,
colors, like a garment being dyed.” Job 38:14
What is the dawn that leads to a transformation of the earth? Transformation of the church, of congregations, of societies? Whatever other factors, it seems to me that a renewed commitment to the common good is a key to the spread of daylight. Often that means expanding the boundaries of our community of concern.
Some examples of societal transformation come to mind: the abolition of child labor as a common practice; the awareness that “ownership” of one human by another is unjust and oppressive; the shared obligation to provide safety and education to individuals.
I derive hope remembering the swift change in our culture’s perception of smoking. In 1990 the smell of cigarette smoke hung in every enclosed public space, from buses and subway cars to restaurants and concert halls. It was an expected part of life. By 2003, New York had banned smoking in nearly all indoor public spaces. We now generally agree that smokers are free to smoke, but that nonsmokers are also free to breathe smoke-free indoor air. Although the evidence had existed for decades, the momentum for change seemed to grow silently. The visible shift in behavior appeared to take place over just a few short years.
In each of these instances we acknowledged that some practices benefitting one group of people came at the expense of another less recognized group of people. Our sense of the common good grew from a subset to the whole. This is the message and example that Jesus taught throughout his ministry: The beloved community is broader and deeper than what we experience and believe! In our church and in religious life, to follow Jesus is to examine the boundaries of our love and care.
Who and what might exist beyond the current borders of our concern? Members of a political party not our own? Priests or soldiers who abuse children? Species and ecosystems that don’t often grab our attention? As Sisters and Associates of St. Joseph of Peace, our daily examen includes looking at the quality of our love in all these relationships, at how we serve the good of the whole. Let us pray for the fire of love to continue transforming our hearts and communities. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin predicts:
“The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides, and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire.” (The Evolution of Chastity, 1934)
Our prayers, wishes and actions contribute to a silent momentum whose outcome we cannot yet see. As we embrace the common good, what will “harnessing for God the energies of love” look like? Where will the light of that blazing fire shine?
This article appeared in the Autumn 2018 issue of Living Peace.