Peace Within New Beginnings Reflection

Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of Skype-ing with Gina, Mary, and Clare.  They're at the Mission Conference in Albuquerque, NM, and asked why this reflection had not been posted online yet. :) Clare had shared it with her missioners in South America after my classmate Megan had forwarded it to her. So here it is! I wrote it while remembering Salsa dancing nights in NYC with Mary and Crys!  :)  The reflection is one that I shared at our Opening Prayer Service for the graduate students in the Theology program at Villanova.  I, along with a second year named Rachel (who is also from St. Louis!), shared reflections on the  Scripture Reading (Revelations 21:1-5) and our theme of "Peace Within New Beginnings."

Opening Prayer Service

Peace Within New Beginnings Reflection

2 September 2010

Michelle Sherman: First Year Student

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.  He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God.”

When I read this particular this verse, themes that spoke to me were community, peace, call, and salsa dancing… ultimately, peace within new communities.  And here’s why.

Have you ever tried to salsa dance with yourself? … I admit that I have (when learning from YouTube video’s), and it is not fun—in fact, it is the opposite of fun! We need each other. In this verse, the writer emphasizes the community: “He will dwell with THEM and THEY will be his people and God himself will always be with THEM as their God.” This intimate dwelling-space, therefore, is not in isolation, but within community. As Dorothy Day stressed, “We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.”

In regard to salsa dancing: every now and then, there will be a dance partner that just “clicks.” Movement is easy and natural with all the right flair and perfect timing. One leads and lets the follower know what is coming next, while the follower trusts: perfect teamwork. Likewise, some communities naturally gel together: the personality types compliment each other, values are shared or are highly respected in their differences, openness abounds, and working styles flow together – the stars align and all is right with the world.  This mostly happens in an ideal world, which is to say, not very often.

More often than not; however, dancing includes an almost socially awkward phase of adjusting to your partner.  One partner’s stride is longer, this one is dancing On Two (New York style) instead of the more common On One, or so-and-so throws in a Cuban move and I have no idea what is going on.  But as long as I’m open to making mistakes and learning within the stumbling and stepping on toes, we’ll be alright in the end and learn much in the process.  In the same way, new spaces with new people require openness to that awkward transition period: recognizing our own unique perceptions and background experiences and honoring the “otherness” of different traditions, practices, and ways of thought.  We must ask: What keeps the communion of saints in communion with each other? It is not the same degree of “liberalism,” “conservativism,” or “moderation.” I recently read a poem from Thomas Aquinas where he states the answer to this question: “First, we need to know that we are all madly in love with the same God.”   Let us remember that there grace within all situations: even the sticky ones that make us uncomfortable – that’s the Spirit moving us to grow!

Peace within the transitions and awkward stages of adjustment is possible, especially when seen through the lens of call. Out of all the graduate programs in the country, for theology, religious studies, and/or ministry… we came here. We’ve been called. This is in no way saying that we are better than those called to other institutions, but a simple affirmation of our journey.  So let us above all be gentle with ourselves.  In these experiences of dancing, as with building a new community, patience and a sense of humor greatly assist the transitions for us as the birth of a new community takes shape. 

So let us remember that in this new community—we trust that we are right where we need to be, those around us have much to teach us—especially the hospitable and knowledgeable second-year students, and as the ultimate salsa dance partner God leads and “goes before us always.” Remember that, as Henri Nouwen wrote: “In everything, keep trusting that God is with you, and that God has given you companions on your journey.”