Virtue: Community
Resolution: I choose to journey with other believers to participate in the mission of God.

Human Story: Dorothy Day (1897-1980)

Dorothy Day was a leading Christian social activist of the 20th century. More than most, she saw the human dignity in others - especially the less fortunate - and was a bastion for peace, equality, and authentic community. In her early twenties, prior to professing any type of creedal faith, Day was a leader in the suffragist movement's National Women's Party (aka: The Silent Sentinels). In 1917, the Silent Sentinels became the first group in in history to picket the White House, demanding that President Woodrow Wilson sign a constitutional amendment that would extend voting rights to women. They were met with fierce opposition despite being nonviolent in their protest. Many women (including Day) were beaten and jailed. The nineteenth amendment ultimately gave women the right to vote in 1920. 

In 1927, at the age of 30, she converted to Christianity; and in 1932, she co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement (CWM) with Peter Maurin. The CWM promotes Catholic teachings and confronts societal injustices. It is now world-renowned for its commitment to feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, rejecting violence, working for peace, and providing dignity and justice to the marginalized. Out of this inspiring movement have since been borne hundreds of "hospitality houses" across the globe that are still providing help for the needy.

A byproduct of the CWM was the corresponding newspaper The Catholic Worker, of which Day was chief editor until her death in 1980. Day was a journalist and wrote for virtually her entire adult life. It was perhaps her autobiography The Long Loneliness that has reached more people than any of her other writings. In it Day writes,

The final word is love... To love we must know each other... and we know each other in the breaking of bread, and we are not alone any more... We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.

Day wasn't being ethereal, academic, or sentimental in her conclusion here. She was an integrated person whose entire life oozed with direct service to the poor and in authentic community with people that society had rejected.

For these reasons and many more, when Pope Francis became the first Pope to address the United States Congress in 2015, he chose to mention Day as one of four exemplary Americans who helped build a better future in America.

Lesson: 1 John 4:20, 3:14-17 New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

4:20 Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.

3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

LOVE and HATE... both words are loaded with such great meaning but are so often overused that we don't really even feel the weight of them sometimes. Then we are reminded by this passage: IF we "hate" others (specifically, our "brothers and sisters" who are fellow believers in Christ), then we cannot truly love God, we cannot abide in God's love, and we do not possess eternal life.

Perhaps some forms of hate have tried to creep into your life, so let's examine what that might look like. Obviously, violence, destruction, and harm toward others is implied by this word hate, but it is far more than that. Apathy, self-centeredness, deceit, and gossip all fit the description too. Hate can be (and often is) an action, but it can also be a thought or an intention. Let us not miss the opportunity to see these forms of hate as inhibitors to our relationship with God.

What, then, does love look like? What is clearly NOT being referred to here is love that is romanticized. Instead, this passage implies kindness, empathy, generosity, self-sacrifice, and putting others who are in need above your own self-interest. These are the kinds of love that connect us to God and bear witness that we have a relationship with the Divine. How have you practiced these things lately? Or not? May we be on guard daily to make sure our thoughts and intentions are filled with love - especially toward our brothers and sisters. 

Remembrance

A prayer from the Church of the Province of the West Indies

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, the privilege is ours to share in the loving, healing, reconciling mission of your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, in this age and wherever we are. Since without you we can do no good thing:
May your Spirit make us wise;
May your Spirit guide us;
May your Spirit renew us;
May your Spirit strengthen us;
So that we will be:
Strong in faith,
Discerning in proclamation,
Courageous in witness,
Persistent in good deeds.
This we ask through the name of the Father.

Challenge

Hatred is a common attitude of human experience. Even back in biblical times it was said, “love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” (Matthew 5:43) But Jesus said to “Love your enemies.” (Matthew 5:44) Do you feel hatred, irritation, or impatience toward someone else? If so, the first step away from hatred is to pray for that person. Write down that person’s name and pray for them each day this week. At the end of the week, compare your attitude about that person with how you felt about them at the beginning of the week.

Reflection

Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than they love the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest and sacrificial. God hates this wishful dreaming because it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. Those who dream of this idolized community demand that it be fulfilled by God, by others and by themselves. They enter the community of Christians with their demands set up by their own law, and judge one another and God accordingly. It is not we who build. Christ builds the church. Whoever is mindful to build the church is surely well on the way to destroying it, for he will build a temple to idols without wishing or knowing it. We must confess he builds. We must proclaim, he builds. We must pray to him, and he will build. We do not know his plan. We cannot see whether he is building or pulling down. It may be that the times which by human standards are the times of collapse are for him the great times of construction. It may be that the times which from a human point are great times for the church are times when it's pulled down. It is a great comfort which Jesus gives to his church. You confess, preach, bear witness to me, and I alone will build where it pleases me. Do not meddle in what is not your providence. Do what is given to you, and do it well, and you will have done enough.... Live together in the forgiveness of your sins. Forgive each other every day from the bottom of your hearts. -  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Further Growth

The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist by Dorothy Day
Loaves and Fishes: The Inspiring Story of the Catholic Worker Movement by Dorothy Day
The Reckless Way of Love: Notes on Following Jesus by Dorothy Day
Called to Community: The Life Jesus Wants for His People a compilation from 21 various authors

2021: Book of Common Prayer Proper 26

Old Testament: Isaiah 1:10-20
Psalm: Psalm 32
New Testament: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Gospel: Luke 19:1-10

2020: Book of Common Prayer Proper 26

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Psalm: Psalm 119:1-16
New Testament: Hebrews 7:23-28
Gospel: Mark 12:28-34

*apocryphal text