As we round the bend on the final points of the JTN manifesto, I couldn’t help but notice that the last four declarations on our list all share a common theme:
All of them touch upon how we’ll build community here.
And so I decided to group all four of these points together in one final post, with a few words on each one.
So here they are . . . the final four pillars of our JTN manifesto:
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1. Learning with each other and from each other.
No one person has a corner on this market. We are all beginners, and we are all teachers.
Thomas Merton liked to say, “We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners.”
We have so much to learn from one another, and it is of great value in this community to give and receive from each other on this shared journey.
We will share stories and questions and discoveries and quandaries . . . and we will listen, and hold space, and seek to understand, and in humility receive each other’s wisdom.
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2. Celebrating acts of love and nonviolence within this community and around the world.
In a previous post, I mentioned that we will shortly begin a recurring feature on this blog called Repentance Thursdays. I’ll share more about this when it officially launches (perhaps as early as next week), but it affords at its root a weekly opportunity to repent as a community of our individual violences of heart and deed.
But here’s the beautiful thing . . .
As we choose to grow together along our rough edges, we will also make plenty of room to celebrate our ongoing growth in love.
That’s where another new weekly feature will come into play.
Moment of Love Mondays will intentionally create space for us at the beginning of each week to reflect on the specific ways we chose to love in difficult moments the previous week.
(Interestingly enough, Kirsten and Katy-Did already offered two great glimpses into what this type of story-sharing can look like for us each Monday morning in the comments section of the previous post!)
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3. Finding specific situations and places to actively choose and practice nonviolence.
Our fellow tribemember Sarah offered this suggestion for our JTN manifesto when it first debuted — and I love it!
- What if we, as a community, actively chose to demonstrate nonviolent action in response to specific situations that crop up in the greater world?
- And what if — eventually — we coordinated group efforts along these lines?
I think it’s possible.
In fact, this notion falls right in line with the original JTN vision I promised I would share with you at the conclusion of this series (and which is coming, as promised, in the next post later this week).
I would count it a great privilege to explore what this could look like with you.
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And finally:
4. Forgiving ourselves and each other when we fail to live this journey well.
Let’s face it. This journey is not easy.
It is, first of all, not one most people choose willingly.
And once chosen willingly, it is full of its fair share of fits and starts.
But just as this journey is about learning to extend compassionate grace toward those we might find difficult to love, it is also about extending that same compassionate grace toward ourselves and everyone else here.
We will bumble along.
We will discover our many egregious human frailties.
We will want to hide our eyes from these shortcomings.
And we will sometimes find it hard to love and forgive ourselves and each other these failings.
But here is grace.
And grace is here.
Always.
Developing a hermeneutic of love… I am game.
I just finished reading a wonderful book called “the Mystic Way of Evangelism” By Elaine Heath. She talks in it about developing a “kenotic rhythm” as an individual, as a group, as a church etcetera. Basically learning how to be broken bread and poured out wine to the masses. I believe when we focus on that we will become more non violent in our stances as a natural outcome.
I find as I indulge my contemplative side more that I naturally feel the love of my creator more and more, and I am less and less violent in my repose towards the world.
To coin an overused and trite phrase, but a phrase that is true “love is all you need” (dunt da dunt ta da, think Beatles). And when the love of your creator pervades your every fiber of being, what else do you need?
Carl, you nailed it. This is all about developing a hermeneutic of love! I would never have thought to put it that way, but it’s true. “In the end, it’s about increasing our capacity to love” . . . that is the tagline for this website, and that is what I’ve come to believe is the essence of it all. Love is the goal; sin is the violence inside each one of us; we are here to finely study each of these in our own hearts, and as a community.
It’s so true that contemplation breeds love. Absolutely. It’s essential, I think. (We’ll explore that more here, too!)
Thanks for being here, friend, and continually offering your thoughts. Your perspective is so helpful and welcome!
Oh dear friend. I love this space and every time I come, I see it growing in beauty.
I had a feeling this would happen — I knew it was a matter of when, and not if. I finally got some “poison pen” comments on a couple of posts in the latest series on my blog. I knew it would come, and so they have. One individual left a total of 9 comments for me yesterday. ONE DAY. And they aren’t short ones. They are rife with insults and accusations about my shortcomings in intelligence, the reliability of my sources, and so on.
In order to give this person the opportunity to express themselves, I answered some of the challenges he posed and presented some of my own. It became clear quickly (given the ample activity on my blog) that we weren’t going to get anywhere.
It was empowering to answer him with a response saying as much, affirming the truth as I understand it, and that such comments were no longer welcome as they were not beneficial or productive. I prayed before I wrote or submitted anything, but I hope and pray it was the loving, charitable, and truthful thing to do.
Thanks for gearing our minds toward this way.
Oh, dear friend, I’m sorry. I went and checked out the activity in the comments you mentioned . . . so much there!
I was struck by your charitable responses over and over again. I felt like you were very open to take in what was presented, weigh it, and offer back a response in kindness and generosity of spirit, but also in pursuit of truth. You have a kind, open spirit.
I’m sorry things reached a state where you felt the need to disband the comments. It makes so much sense that your priorities are what they are and that things were moving in a direction that could not be contained or maintained in that space.
I do wonder how things will evolve for you in this regard. I had a feeling, too, that it was only a matter of time before critics entered the conversation. (And I’m aware every day of the same potential here in this space!)
What you are doing is offering a vital service to so many. It is evident from the many, many comments from others that what you are doing is resonating and stirring something in others. I believe God is at work through you in this process, not just for the faith you and James and Little Bean hold, but also for the growing faith of the rest of us.
But with growing influence comes the rub, the tough patches, the harder parts. We will both be challenged to continually face these places with grace and welcome and love, but also truth. I’m sorry for the baptism you’ve had to endure on this front already . . . but also know it is one of what will likely be many more to come. Perhaps eventually it will become very natural for you to regard these conversations with lightness of spirit. If your writings are meant for a greater audience, I do believe God will prepare you for how to respond to critics you will encounter perhaps in larger audiences later. Though I don’t wish this for you, I do wonder if it is part of the path ahead for you simply because God is already using your writings in powerful ways, and perhaps has plans for even more.
Love you, friend. So much. Miss you lots these days.
Sounds like we were both anticipating such activity, then. I just didn’t expect 9 comments from one person in one day!!
Thank you for taking the time to look — I often doubt myself when leaving responses to things said with so much anger, so I’m glad you saw that what was in my heart came out on the page. I wish this man no ill-will, but it became very clear very rapidly that this is someone who cares only about winning, proving a point, and being right.
One of the reasons I chose Saint Agatha as my patron is for this very reason — I want to be able to defend my faith clearly and articulately, and without fear, even in the face of opposition and insult. She did that, and I can only pray to be like her in some small way.
I miss you so much, my friend. I love the work that is taking place here and I love that when such offense arose, I was able to think of the work going on in this space, the opportunity to respond to violence with curiosity and love, and above all, to learn through the process where we have opportunity to grow deeper into the love Christ emulated for us.
Blessings and peace to you this Good Friday!!
Yes, nine comments in one day is quite a lot. :)
You know, I can see these qualities of Saint Agatha in you already. You are incredibly articulate — one of the most articulate people I know on this whole, wide earth! And I do see you as someone leaning into standing up for what is true and real without fear. I saw that in you long before this journey into Catholicism. It happened when you were falling in love with James, too. You stand tall, and boldly, and proudly, and without fear. I admire that about you.
Love you.
You encourage me, my friend, to a degree that I cannot express.
I love you, miss you, and want to give you a big ol’ hug right now!!
Kirsten, I am sorry you had to endure such tripe. I truly am. I only cruised a few of them, but I got the gist of them.
I wear a shirt and clerical collar any time I am doing chaplaincy work at the request of the hospital I volunteer at (run by Sisters of Charity no less) and when I do weddings and it is requested. People look at me differently because they instantly equate it with Catholicism. I get ridiculed or called “child rapist” regularly.
Please know that I am so happy your soul has found rest and solace in the open arms of Catholicism. I see your faith, any persons faith, as a grand adventure.
Carl, that is positively wretched that people say those things to you. Our own pastor addressed some of the scandal being dealt with in Rome right now over this very issue, and you could tell, it was one that got him going. We definitely need to see healing of all those instances of violence against children, NO MATTER where they occur.
Carl, I too am sorry to hear that has happened to you. It took me by surprise to hear that people can be so bold.
This being Good Friday, I am thinking a lot today about how we receive violence and hatred brought against us, as Christ did … how we receive it with love.
There is so much here, intended for this space, about exploring all the implications for this process. Can’t wait to walk through this with you all!
It is very exciting to see this blossom and grow…I look forward to seeing everything that evolves in this space.
Swirly, I’m so glad you’re here. xoxo
Hi Christianne…Thank you so much for reminding me why I had a sense of familiarity about your blog in my post today. I knew it wasn’t the exact same link, but it was something…and I can be a space cadet so I figured I’d cover my bases. ;)
You’re welcome, Swirly! I’m so honored to have received the shout-out! :)
Wow . . . awesome stories, guys. Kirsten, I saw those comments on your blog and was surprised you left them up, let alone responded. Blessings to you for doing so. And Carl, I’m so sorry people say those awful things to you–That would make me want to be violent, for sure.
Which brings me to something I’ve been thinking lately–I don’t really know where this comment belongs so figured I’d leave it here because it ties, at least tangentially, to this post.
As I think about nonviolence, I become more and more convinced that nonviolence toward others starts with nonviolence toward ourselves. I think the point about forgiving ourselves for failure is along these lines, but I think it goes even deeper than that. I think we have to accept our failings, not as things that will never change, but as part of our humanness. (In fact, I think that’s the only way to change–Don Miller wrote a post on that this week, in fact). I know, on a personal level, that I can’t resist violence towards others when I’m being violent towards myself. I can’t forgive their lapses and understand the conditions behind their actions if I can’t do that for myself.
What thinkest y’all?
I absolutely agree with you, Sarah.
It’s funny you mention this because everything I think about the actual journey toward nonviolence begins here: with ourselves. Not to say that we neglect care for others while we’re trying to learn care for ourselves, but really that an ability to truly love others comes from first having learned how incredibly loved and accepted we are by God.
I’m of the firm belief that, similar to what Carl offered in a comment on a previous post, when we encounter and come to know our own belovedness, we cannot help but begin to overflow in love for others. This is also similar to what I wrote about in my “How Does the Beloved Learn to Die?” series on Still Forming many months ago.
Ultimately, I believe this is where we begin answering the question, “How do we increase our capacity to love?” We’re going to spend some time camping out in this subject (the subject of receiving our utter belovedness) for a while rather soonly here.
Sarah, I so agree with you!! It’s been implicit perhaps, but I love the way you said it. We have to learn to treat ourselves without violence. We can’t expect to offer toward others what we fail to extend to our own selves.
And BTW, I wanted to leave those comments up for several reasons. The commenter was not afraid to put himself out there in the manner in which he did. And it was an opportunity to see where the rubber meets the road in terms of exactly what we’re discussing here. This man is my brother, and regardless of how he treats me, he is beloved, too.
It’s so good to “see” you out here again. I know your attention has been necessarily engaged elsewhere with your little one, but you have been missed!!
I stinking love this space. Just saying. maybe I should just turn my blog off for awhile and just settle in here with a good cup of coffee and a open mind and heart.
Carl, so glad you’re loving it here. I am too. :)
hi christianne and company. for some reason my bloglines didn’t update me on this post, so i missed it. there’s so much here, so much to say that is important and even central.
just wanted to comment to kirsten: i felt sick about that whole exchange you were having with the gentleman on your site. it reminded me so much of encounters i had with people when i left the pentecostal church. and i respect your responses very much. i’m glad you’ve decided to moderate comments because i’m sure you’ll be getting more of that. sadly.
christianne: i just wanted to say how much i love that merton quote. i deeply value the discipline of seeing myself (and others) as beginners. that idea brings so much grace with it. it’s so connected to the idea of forgiving. if i’m a beginner, i can play and experiment and ask questions and fail and learn. i love that.
also, i appreciated carl’s comment on the effect of contemplative practices in his life. i’ve come to realize that the things we DO on a regular basis will necessarily have effects on our capacity to love God, ourselves and others, for good or ill. i know that i sort of drift on a regular basis, and unless i ask particular questions i will not even notice these effects. how does the way i treat my body affect my capacity to love myself? how does my relationship with technology impact the space that i have available to love? does my approach to my schedule and work commitments create obstacles to love or opportunities to demonstrate love? all things being equal, if i don’t ask these questions on a regular basis, i will drift towards self-protection and cynicism.
anyway, i’ve rambled, but i wanted to say that i love what you’re doing here. truly.
Terri, I’m so glad you’re here and chiming in. You have so much wisdom and perspective to offer!
One reason I love that Merton quote is because he gets right down to the truth that we don’t want to be beginners. I know that is so true for me. I want to be farther along on the path than I usually am. I get impatient with the process! And yet, when it comes right down to it, being a beginner is such a grace, as you’ve so elegantly noted. Why do I get impatient with the process? Why do I want to be further along than I already am? Usually it’s because of fear or insecurity or pride. But if those are stripped away, and I don’t have to worry about losing anything at all, I can rest in my beginner-ness and simply be along for the journey, learning and stumbling along with everyone else, and that can be so good. Freeing.
I love those questions you asked there at the end! Beautiful, and full of depth. Love you. So glad you’re here.
I love what you expressed here, Christianne about being beginners. That is the true nature of a teachable spirit and in the long run I think that is the thing that changes us the most- the willingness to learn (while being loved of course).
I just wanted to share with you ways that your blogs are helping me. I was in traffic day before yesterday and someone rode my bumper then raced around me. My first “under my breath” response was a couple of obscenities.
Then, what voice did I hear but sweet Christianne saying something kind and gentle and I retracted my inner chatter with a thought of grace. :)
So there ya have it. A mad driver received LESS of a good cussin’ (that is a Southern term) because of your labor of love.
Love to you friend.
Tammy, you have to know that your story made me smile. I just shook my head with a huge smile on my face because I could so see that happening! I love the honesty you bring to this space, and also the willingness to grow and learn. These are marvelous qualities in you, my friend. Love you.
Tammy, I had a similar experience just this afternoon. I was at a store and near the return line. A woman was returning an item she was over charged on and just berating the clerk. She was older, lots of look of pain in her life and I said to myself “she must have a hard life, who are the people in her life and why are they not loving her?”
As I walked away clear as day the Holy Spirit said “you are in her life, why are you not loving her?”
Yeah, oouch, on Easter none the less. Going to be chewing on that one for at least… well my lifetime.
Wow, Carl! What a moment!
What do you think “loving her” would have looked like in that moment?
Honestly, probably just a smile with good eye contact and if the situation arose a brief conversation. If I speak to much I would be seen as 1)defending the clerk or 2) joining in the berating of the clerk. Option 3, smile and pass a little bit of love her way.
In reality I just kept walking.