Times are changing... what is a nun anyway?

The celebrations of last week are starting to slow with heighten awareness of the time we are embarking upon. Change is starting to be stirred into the norm, into the desire of living fully in a period of unrest.  

The next few weeks upon me are filling up between virtual gatherings and that of the start of a new journey of study; the sense of a new season is in reach. 

In the past few days I have felt attached to the screen with meetings daily, helping others with their technology and simply wanting to watch news, and a movie – yes a movie ;o)  

 

Over the past few weeks I have had heighten awareness of the throw away comments of listening to the “young”, they will be able to create new future or have insight. Then today I was listening to an experience of an interaction with youth, resulting in a sense of not knowing how to answer. What is a nun anyway? Was the question, with the answer far too complicated with inner awareness of not even being able to answer. When coming from a place of everyone having images and no need for articulation of ‘what’ you are, what ministry to do, role in the church, place within community, being apart of the majority, all these images true or not, leaves a sense of not needing to form articulation or even labels. Times have changed. 

In truth, I’m not too sure I would be able to answer the question either; what is a nun? (sister) – normally I don’t use this term nun to begin, so find it hard to identify myself with it. Yet leaves me questioning a level behind this … what is Christianity?

 

You see, if we can explain Christianity in its essence and in a few words, this would give a gate way to touching on what life entails living under the term ‘religious’. 

I often sit in wonder at the word ‘Christianity’, we are all fast to recall or use terms of good works like - love, care for the poor, be a good person. Traditionally the word is connected to ‘good’. A good Christian boy / girl or good works. Doing good works is not a religion, anyone can do good works.

Leaving a sense of puzzlement, maybe it’s about set of rules, moral code to live by. Being right, doing right, making the world ordered towards the truth. Believing in a God that has certain expectations for us, so our role in this world is to obey them and make sure others do as well. 

Is that it… is that the reason we believe…. 

 

I hope not… 

 

What about the Christ figure we name ourselves after, the essences of our faith is this guy Jesus, Christ, anointed one by God died for us, giving up his life for our sins. Yet this was 2000 years ago, what relevance does it have today, to me, to you … 

 

Leaving me to ponder… 

If confronting a person who is looking for answers to life’s deepest questions, who has not heard of Christianity… I am not too sure these things would do Christianity much justice to explain faith. 

 

At its core, I think of three words – Incarnation, Resurrection, Discipleship. 

 

It’s not hard to express how we believe in an infinite all knowing being that not only created everything into existence, everything that is, that was, everything that will be. He decided to become a part of that creation! This infinite, all knowing, all powerful being subjected himself to a being with limited knowledge, weakness, restraints, vulnerability. He did this to be like us in all things. 

He continued to subject himself even to death; so committed to taking on our humanity that lead him to death. All powerful being of the universe allow himself to be killed.. 

 

Why?

 

So, he could overcome death, be resurrected, redeeming our humanity to raise it up to divine status. This God didn’t come to be like us for his own amusement, he came so we could be like him! In his resurrection we are given the opportunity for eternal life in God. 

 

How do we respond to this incredible act of love and solidarity?  How can we hope to take part in God’s eternality?

 

By living as He did of course!!!

Loving as He loved, caring as He cared, living in humanity and peace so we can rise as He rose. Becoming His disciples, devoted to learning what our Creator created, so much so we become like Him, living for eternality. God became like us so we could become like Him. 

 

Its rather simple really, leaving me to go back to the start… all this came from a place of pondering the stories and words of how the ‘young’ have the answers to going forward. I’m sorry to say that this is not the case, how is this living in solidarity together if we put the weight solely on the shoulders of the young. While I’m highly aware of the hope that being young offers to older generations it is in communion we live! We walk together, with great hope, while the journey is connected recently for some and not yet for others… I encourage us all to remember it is a journey. 

 

Maybe next week I will be able to build upon these words of what Christianity is to explain simply the meaning of nun – or life as a religious – essence!! Then again it is a journey where always continue to growth and be transformed through the grace of God….. to be continued….