a surrender - 12

(Continuing "a surrender," chapter two, "the power of the people and the power of God")

The large size of their organization felt intimidating, but I think a part of me felt that I needed it. Maybe as a kind of shelter from the demands of society. Like the walls around the monasteries. The large organization could provide security and ensure basic needs would be met, like health care. And it would provide a network of safe places where I would be welcomed and could perhaps teach. It seemed practical. A way of living more like Jesus that could possibly work in the modern world.

I think there’s something very comforting in being part of a large organization of people. It provides a sense of security. Maybe it’s instinctual, a deeply held feeling that we are safer when we’re part of a herd or clan. Very often this is true. We have also learned that people can accomplish great things when they work together, especially when lots and lots of people work together. This is seen in factories and offices, on construction sites and battlefields. It’s the basis for the power of governments and corporations. And it’s also the basis for the power of unions and organizations that protest against governments and corporations. “The power of the people” is the power of many people working together towards a common goal. That’s another comforting thing that an organization provides: a common goal, a common purpose. I remember a conversation with a young man in the Dominicans. He told me it felt good to him “to be part of something greater than myself.” An organization of people can offer that feeling, when everyone in the group believes that their purpose is a good one, and they are able to accomplish so much more working together than any of them could working alone. And it seems this feeling grows stronger as the group becomes larger. When many, many people all agree, their belief seems more convincing, more true. If so many people are all convinced, it seems more likely that they are right. Maybe this too is an instinctual response. Becoming “part of something” can even offer us a new identity. I can identify myself as a citizen or an employee, a team member or a fan, and be proud of being a part of an organization that I admire, “something greater than myself.” That group identity can also help guide our individual choices and actions. Organizations offer us all these things, so it’s not surprising that we encounter them everywhere, all the time, on all levels of society. Belief in “the power of the people” is strong all around us.

Perhaps that was part of the reason I joined the Dominicans. I also admired their ideals, and I liked how they are more democratic than many other similar religious communities. As it turned out, I didn’t last long with them, only a few years. But I did learn a lot.

Continued...