Faith in Practice Resistance is Creating the Alternative by Dylan Rooke
The Jesus that Dorothy emulated spoke of a We‘ve failed, had hurt feelings, and have said new kingdom in his “Sermon on the Mount,” one farewell to more than one housemate as we try to Several years ago I played bass in a punk different than Empire, where liberation meant learn from our mistakes. Yet, we can certainly band. We played in the rundown, east end of serving one another, the poor, the outcast, where celebrate one year of this crazy little thing we do. Nashville, staying regularly at some dear friends’ the last become first and the first become last – an Life together is never easy, but I believe I can community house. It had the usual aesthetic of almost paradoxical circle of jubilee-distribution of honestly say it’s been worth every moment. these types of communal ramshackle dwellings. value for all people. The alternative to this “filthy rotten system,” as Hanging above the kitchen sink was a simple rag, I’d found the first of many “saints” in my life. Dorothy called it, only finds its solution in love for probably once used for some utilitarian purpose, Despite my Charismatic Protestant upbringing, I one another. This kind of love is not often found in with a simple inscription sewn into it, “Everyone found that of my many spiritual heroes, a large the systems and structures we’ve been handed. We wants a revolution, but no one wants to do the number are Roman Catholics. Of all the recent can’t wait for our hierarchies to fix the problems dishes — Dorothy Day.” Who saints I’ve come for us; we’re the leaders we’ve been waiting for! I was this person? Her simple across in my believe we need to create and cultivate these spaces challenge struck my soul so Greenway Community ecumenical journey where more than a Band-Aid is applied, where the tenderly; I desired more of this of reconciliation, whole person in all our brokenness can be wisdom she had to share. House of Hospitality Thomas Merton has embraced. Back home, I began a been my guide into a Though we shouldn’t delude ourselves by journey to find something out renewed thinking we can solve all the problems we see, let’s about her and her life. I picked understanding. He begin taking steps together doing what we can for up a $2 copy of Dorothy Day’s stretched and the causes of justice, peace, and love. Plenty of autobiography, The Long challenged me to the opportunities lie directly before us; greeting us in Loneliness, at Eljay’s Used core. small ordinary ways. Books, then on the South Side. I’m a busybody, a go The balance of Dorothy and Merton invites us The simple, frail figure -getter, always trying to live a humble yet active journey that demands portrayed on the front cover to maximize my giving and receiving, marching and sitting in beckoned me to dive in productivity on stillness, community and solitude. We can’t do this immediately - which doesn’t whatever project is alone, we need each other – a network of cohappen often to this hesitating on my to-do list. conspirators willing to work with calloused hands, reader. I grew up equating Dorothy’s work but tender hearts. reading with school – a spoke my language Resistance is creating the alternatives, and like negative connotation for this of action, but it was Momma Teresa said, “Let us do small things with recovering, young punk. the partnership with great love.” Let’s get washing these dishes! With each page I was more Merton that brought To learn more about the growing Pittsburgh and more drawn into her story, balance to that action Catholic Worker Network, contact Source: Greenway Community walking right along with her. – a balance I find I need to maintain the journey. pittsburghcatholicworker@lists.riseup.net; for info Her portrayals of the New York slums, May Day in His words often echo when I find myself trying to about the monthly Merton Study Circle, contact Union Square, and her journalism with the take on too much in some sort of messianic Carol Gonzalez, Teacher41@aol.com or facebook: Socialist papers spoke to my story, my struggle to complex: “To allow oneself to be carried away by https://www.facebook.com/ find myself, my ‘kick-against-the-pricks’ attitude a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to groups/300631609998427/ that was fueled by my love for punk and anything too many demands, to commit oneself to too many against the status quo. I wished I’d been alive in Dylan Rooke currently serves as Building projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is those stories, raging in the streets alongside Manger at Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in to succumb to the violence of our times.” comrades, screaming at the corruption of a system the South Side and as Peace Discernment It’s now a little over a year since we purchased that imprisoned radicals demanding a new system Organizer & National Committee Member of the our humble little house in the historic – for the people! My heart was there, thinking I Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. He is an ordained neighborhood of Hazelwood. Things are slower knew where the story was going. Then, the Presbyterian elder and currently resides as than an earlier version of me would hope to see, character of Peter Maurin surprised me as it did Founder/ Care Taker at The Greenway but I can celebrate the slow subversive work of Dorothy. Community House of Hospitality - A Catholic trying to create a new community. We call She struggled with his foreign philosophy of Worker expression in the neighborhood of ourselves the Greenway Community House of “Personalism” where revolution wasn’t about Hazelwood, Pittsburgh. Hospitality (thegreenwaycommunity.org). We picketing Washington for change. Revolution strive to live the tradition and example of the didn’t wait to be handed to you with permission Catholic Worker Movement. After volunteering from governing authorities. You had to ignite a with some dear friends in Kansas City who revolution, one person at a time, heart to heart. Active Nonviolence ... run the Cherith Brook Catholic Worker, I “The best way to meet the man on the street is by must unmask the contradiction of a society that is knew this was the work I had to get my meeting the man on the street!” This was against based on force. Unfortunately, the affluent industrial hands calloused and dirty doing. the top-down mentality of most radicals at that society, with all the freedom it presumes to offer its After all, if I wanted revolution, the time. It had a sort of offensive but refreshing sting people, is a society that survives because it lives by dishes need to be done. So, four to five of to it, and it got me thinking. The Catholic Worker systematic greed and a subtle violence that makes us live together in a simple rhythm of the affluent richer and the nonaffluent poorer. Those Movement was born out of this tension and the prayer, meals, shared resources, and who practice nonviolence will almost of necessity find love for the poor and the desire to stand in hospitality. Currently space is available for themselves at odds with such a society. At the same solidarity with the oppressed for liberation. It drew two resident guests, with hopes that after time they must beware lest their own values be subtly fresh breath into the hearts of many, who, like me, renovations we can double that capacity. subverted by the disvalues so easily disseminated by desired the true gospel – one that stepped down a society dedicated to profit and motivated by greed. It Already we’ve learned so much about our from the tiers of power and was among the poor -was no accident that Merton continually urged own limits and healthy ways to build of spirit, and of pocket. followers of nonviolence to guard against the violence consensus and make decisions together. “Any act of war aimed indiscriminately at the Association of Pittsburgh Priests destruction of entire cities or extensive areas along with their population is a crime against God and man himself (sic). It merits unequivocal and unhesitating condemnation. The unique hazard of modern warfare consists in this: it provides those who possess modern scientific weapons with a kind of occasion for perpetrating just such abominations; moreover, through a certain inexorable chain of events, it can catapult men (sic) into the most atrocious decisions. That such may never happen in the future, the bishops of the whole world gathered together, beg all men (sic), especially government officials and military leaders, to give unremitting thought to their tremendous responsibility before God and the entire human race.” --Vatican Council II, The Church in the Modern World, Chapter V, The Fostering of Peace and the Promotion of a Community of Nations. 12 - NEWPEOPLE
March 2013
and the aggressiveness so easily hidden undetected in their own persons...I am forgetting the contemplative oneness that links me to brother and sister, to friend and enemy. Every time I let go of my aggressiveness and pettiness and act in genuine unconditional love, I am releasing a wonderful healing, purifying, unifying power that can bring peace and harmony to my own life and the lives of those with whom I live and work....More and more people are discovering nonviolence as a "creative, lifeaffirming way to resolve conflict, to overcome oppression, establish justice, protect the earth, and build democracy. --William Shannon on Merton, Something of a Rebel: Thomas Merton, His Life and Works.