The Ladder of Success

I often wish I could sit with Dorothy Day and ask her where we should start.  The United States is such a different place now than when she began. The government provides food stamps and medical care for the poor, and right or wrong it relieves a bit of their burden.  There are food closets on every corner and charities of every shape and size.  People are more skilled at hiding their pain and needs.  Where is one Catholic Worker supposed to get a foot in the door?

My neighborhood is a good example.  We live in an area where families either work really, REALLY hard or live off of government assistance.  A lot of families do both.  But it is not a dilapidated area of town.  If you drive by you might think that living here wouldn't be so bad.  And its not.  We have a pool to swim in and a small pond where kids can fish.  It is in a fairly nice school district.

Don't be fooled.  There is pain here. 

You have to really be paying attention but after living here awhile you will see it.  Small children wandering around alone at all hours of the night; families being evicted; folks sitting on their stoop, smoking, passing time and the parties and fights between neighbors.  There is enough pain to go around.  It is wrapped in heavy cloaks of neglect and despair, addiction and mental illness and worry.  There is always something to worry about.

I have great ambitions.  In the past I have tricked myself into believing that if I am not mirroring Dorothy Day or the great Mother T., than I am failing Christ.  I wouldn't serve unless it was a BIG service.  The problem was, this kind of service never seemed to come around so I never did anything.  This kind of ambition is as damaging as a passion to climb the ladder of financial success.  It took me awhile to release these fantasies and to learn to serve where I am. Wherever I am, I am a servant of Christ and those around me.

The CW in Tulsa may never be as beautifully organized as it is in other states and that is okay.  Because we are not a charity, we are a community.  If you have a desire to live simply, volunteer to give away whatever you don't need, live with those in poverty and advocate for the oppressed...  if this sounds like a pretty great deal, than welcome to OUR community.  Embrace your life as a Catholic Worker.  Don't wait for a building or a monthly staff meeting, just walk out your door and serve.  And don't forget to pray.  We must always be in prayer.

Joy in Christ...