Letting One Another Grow

From a very good book entitled, "Strangers to the City, Reflections on the Beliefs and Values of the Rule of Saint Benedict," by Michael Casey.   

   

"If I accept my limitations and liabilities and look to others to do what I cannot, then we are bound together through many such multi-dimensional interactions. The struggle in building community is often a matter of my not recognizing my need for others. In a sense, it is my failure to see the need to be saved from my own deficiencies, not only by God but by other men and women. Sometimes the best way to turn an enemy into a friend or to restart  stalled communications is to ask a favor, to put ourselves in the position of a petitioner, to give the other a chance to demonstrate magnanimity. This is not so easy. Sometimes there will be rebuffs, but the tactic works more often than not, so long as we approach it in a spirit of humility and simplicity. By admitting our "weakness" we allow the other to feel "strong," and most people will like us a little more for that."   

 

Paraclette Press, Brewster, MA, 2006, page 113   

   

Yes, those of us who are called into Christian communities are called to do good in the world, and certainly the need is great.  Sometimes, however, we forget we are also called to help one another, and ourselves, grow in love.  If we are focused only on meeting tangible goals, we can find the process of letting others in on the project frustratingly inefficient.  How do we measure love?  I really do not have an answer for that question. However, I do think our quest for measurable efficiency is often detrimental to our overall emotional and physical health. When our health suffers, so does the health of those around us.  

 

I was thinking of this passage on my walk this morning.  Our dog has to have some surgery next week.  Whether it is my dog or myself that needs surgery, when the time comes I want the medical staff to be completely focused on the task at hand.  However, I also want the staff to take their Sabbath time to rest, to be with their families, and enjoy their hobbies or avocations. In other words, I want them to have the chance to be fully human. It is not a weakness to take this "unproductive" time; it is truly the source of our strength and our divine inheritance.