I've had the same discussions and thoughts for years... we don't have to be Bible thumping crusaders in order to have a positive impact on the people around us & the world we live in.
In a time when the notion of goodness has been thoroughly watered down, as politeness is mistaken for kindness, certainty passes for faith, ethics for spirituality and middle-class mores for saintliness, it's good to be reminded that those whom many consider saints are complex human beings who more often than not defy convention.
A decade ago, I met a 74-year-old nun in Romania who taught me the difference between manners and social goodness -- and the real thing. Sister Mary Rose Christy was the closest thing to a saint I have ever met. But it's not because she was particularly kind to me. Nor did she play the role of the docile holy woman content to radiate light from the corner of the room.
Brusque, opinionated, hard-headed and not the best listener I've ever met, Sister Mary Rose had an agenda, and I think she viewed mere mortals like myself who crossed her path as either people who could help or hinder her mission. |
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