A Summer Night at St Joe’s

It’s a sweltering hot night in July and we’re holding our community meeting in the backyard. Upstairs the doors to the fire escapes are open wide, allowing a breeze to float down the halls, when there is one. Ceiling fans turn but don’t make a lot of difference. So we’re out in the back yard around the picnic table with a pitcher of ice water and relative comfort.

This summer the community is a mixture of new faces and old. People have been finding us on the internet, and for the past couple of years we’ve had an ever evolving community. Well, we’ve always had an ever-evolving community, but now it evolves faster and with more people. We have summer interns, and a couple of new longer term people, plus our folks like Tom and Mirabai who are here for the long run, at least for now. And around the table tonight are Tim and George and Don and Harry, and me, here for decades. I think it’s easier to stay for decades if you don’t live in the house.

So how do you build meaningful community with an ever-changing cast of characters? How do you hunker down for the long term together when some of us are only here for a bit? Well, I guess you do it by staying in the moment. It’s a bit hard for introverts like me, who need time to get to know people. A constant challenge to come out of one’s shell. But you know ---- we’re here bringing the love of God to each other. And the love of God – that love meets us where we are. It doesn’t ask how long we’re staying. It doesn’t even ask if we’re a good worker. It just loves us right where we are. So that love – that welcome – that patience – that forbearance – that needs to be ours to share right here, right now, in this moment, with this person.
Sometimes the greater challenge is loving the person who sticks around a while. Easier to be patient with someone when you don’t know what it is about them that drives you crazy. And there’s always something!!  But right along with the drive-you-crazy stuff, right along the inevitable potholes in each other’s psyches --- we are such wonderful people. Jaw-droppingly wonderful, with such good hearts. It’s worth sticking around, worth enduring the crazy stuff.  Looking around the table, I’m grateful. New faces and old. We are each other’s gift.

Up on the second floor, Adriel works on re-upholstering a chair. He has it right by the fire-escape door, to catch the light. He’s a professional, doing a wonderful job. This is the Catholic Worker: you just never know what kind of wonderful each person holds. I am grateful for all of us.

Chava Redonnet
July 8, 2010

Previous Inspirations by Chava Redonnet:

Inspirations-October-2009

Inspirations-November-2009
Inspirations-November11-2009

Inspirations-November-18-2009
Inspirations-September 7, 2010
Inspirations-May 11, 2010
Inspirations-July 8, 2010

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