The Past Meets the Present

Starkly white room, a complete void, save two chairs, and two very different people, here the past will meet the present. An older woman dressed in a snappy, purple suit with a laptop at her side and an aged man clothed in a meager habit bearing the cross around his neck begin to discuss their views, what could they possibly have in common. Actually, they both have chosen to serve Christ by committing their lives to the church and live by the rule of Saint Benedict. It is not a stretch of the imagination that the mystery man in the habit carrying the cross is a monk. However, it might be a little more surprising that the lovely lady dressed smartly in the purple suit is a nun. With his simplistic dress, serene expression, cross, and rosary beads dangling out of his hand, this monk seems to be the epitome of a Saint Benedictine Monk. By residing in the monastery, he upholds the vow of stability. Through his actions to superiors, he exudes obedience. On the other hand, the lady seems to be contradicting both of these vows. She is a world traveler, which makes her stability questionable, and in the past she has ignored direct orders from the Vatican, which does not seem very obedient. When comparing Joan Chittister to the ideal image of a Saint Benedictine Monk, she seems to be in total contrast with not just the position but also the life style. At face value, Joan Chittister appears far more similar to the shiftless gyrovagues and sarabaites living by their own will who Saint Benedict detested so deeply. Nevertheless, I do not believe she is similar to either. She is not unstable for residing outside the convent because she sees the world as her community, her convent. Therefore, she remains grounded in her surroundings no matter where she is. When Chittister addresses the question of obedience, she affirms that obedience to God and the Holy Spirit is more vital than obedience to people. Thus disobeying the Vatican is not total disobedience because she was following God’s direction. In addition, she has both training and discipline that both the sarabaites and gyrovagues lack. Finally, Chittister describes the rule of Saint Benedict as a type of flexible guideline for life, not a concrete law. After reading, listening to the pod cast, and discussing both Saint Benedict and Joan Chittister I began to think on a question that was posed at the end of class. What would Saint Benedict think of Joan Chittister, if by some act of God they could meet, would he think her a gyrovague, sarabait, a heretic? Personally, I do not believe she is either, and I think he would not think she was also. I think that he would understand that religion, like the rule has to be flexible to interpretation, which is what Joan Chittister does. As the world is changing religion must change with it. Not fundamentally, but certain aspects of it must evolve, or the religion as a whole will be left behind.