Chapter 70
The Rule of St. Benedict August 28
I have often found it easy to set myself up as judge and executer. From my perspective trapped behind my two small eyes, I succumb to the temptation to act as though I see the world as it is, unadorned and objective. My anger and violence are then justified as acts of defense in the service of Truth and Justice. Our Father Benedict seeks to prevent this impulse here in Chapter 70. Sr. Joan comments,
Benedictine spirituality depended on personal commitment and community support, not on intimidation and brutality. Benedict makes it clear that the desire for good is no excuse for the exercise of evil on its behalf. . . . To become what we hate--as mean as the killers, as obsessed as the haters--is neither the goal nor the greatness of the spiritual life.
As non-cloistered Benedictines, let us consider carefully how we posture ourselves with each other and with those we encounter in our daily lives. As much as it appears at times to be the case, God has not set us up as vigilantes for God's own Truth.
Br. Chad 2012
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