Community Life

You know that often used verse in weddings, from 1Corinthians 13:4-7. I don't think it's meant for espoused relationships. I think it's referring to community life.

In Discussion Group, tonight, we were discussing how hard it is to live in community, especially a celibate one. It is especially so in a male celibate community. If you're competitive, and feel the need to present a certain persona, it is very hard to love your confreres. The verse tells us basically to be humble enough to forget ourselves--our needs, our ego, and consider the other person's needs. We need to see Christ in them, and one can't if you're maintaining the persona of an alpha male.

Love is patient, is kind; love does not envy, is not pretentious, is not puffed up, is not ambitious, is not self-seeking, is not provoked; thinks no evil, does not rejoice over wickedness, but rejoices with the truth; bears with all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Read this verse again, thinking of a couple making their marriage vows. Between two people in love there naturally is this mutual give and take. What bride is more ambitious than her husband? Self-seeking? Unkind? Thinks evil? Come'on! They're just getting married! This verse is wasted on them.

Now read this verse again, thinking of a Lay Dominican Chapter.

Oh boy!

Those that live in community need to forget all pretense, ego, ambition, and look for the best in their brothers and sisters. That's where God abides.

Situational Irony

There were six of us walking tonight.  It was a beautiful Fall night.  You didn't need a jacket.  The temperature was in the 70's.  We couldn't walk the track because there was a high school football game going on.  We could hear the cheering and band music and even feel the excitement.

We walked around and through the Town Common and headed downtown.  Somehow we had paired off, and soon found ourselves walking and talking in two's.  We usually walk for an hour and we were on the last 20 minutes or so, when the couple in front of us turned to say something, and we all stopped.

Where was the last couple?

If they went somewhere, why didn't they tell us?  Did they stop to window shop?  Did they meet friends?  Did they go inside some where?  Did they head off in a different direction?

Then we spotted them back down the road.  And, they had crossed the street!  They were now on the other side of the street.

We decided to continue slow to allow them to catch up.  We also were going to cross the street at the next corner crosswalk, so we'll be on the same side as they.

But there were no cars coming.

We decided to jaywalk.  Hey! This is Massachusetts.

As we were dashing across the street to be on the same side, as our friends, we saw that they were dashing across the street to be on the same side, as us.

If we did it again, would they?

We chose to stay put and wait until we all were close enough to talk.

Sometimes Christian love of neighbor can be humorous.