Many Christians look at the situation in the world today and want to escape. They lose heart when they see the violence, injustice and materialism of modern life. With the popular redefinition of marriage, the continued assault on the unborn in the womb and general disrespect for the sanctity of human life that’s far too common they wonder how much farther our country can move away from the Culture of Life. We see that the culture is no longer influenced by Gospel values as it once was, and wonder if it’s possible anymore to be active, engaged and faithful citizens. Some call for Christians to separate themselves, living in small, isolated communities, only engaging in public life when it’s necessary to defend religious liberty. They say that we should follow the example of St. Benedict of Nurcia, the father of Western monasticism, whose monasteries served as refuges that preserved Christian faith and culture as the Roman world was crumbling around them. Then, when the current society collapses, the Church will be ready to reemerge to put the pieces of a broken culture back together again, in the same way the Benedictine monasteries did so many centuries ago.
There is a popular book out now called The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher, in which the author makes this kind of proposal. I want to be fair: Dreher is not some kind of Christian survivalist who thinks we should literally move to the mountains, stockpiling food and water, while we await the apocalypse. But he does feel that we need to come together as believers, living is small, intentional communities so as to preserve Christian culture amidst the shifting tides of our unstable society. He compares it to people seeking the metaphorical high ground during a severe storm, huddling together, sharing their resources, both material and spiritual, until the tempest passes and it's safe to go outside again. Then the "survivors" can emerge to sift through the wreckage to reconstruct a new Christian civilization.
Again, he's not talking about total separation from the mainstream, but a tactical retreat from the culture, so we have space to preserve the faith and pass it on. He would limit our political involvement to more or less advocating for religious liberty, and maybe speaking out on some other issues, but that's about it. Dreher has admitted in interviews that his tone in the book is extreme, but he feels that we are in desperate times, so he needs to be a bit alarmist to get people's attention. While there is much I find good in the book, I'm not sure if I can sign on with the Benedict Option, as its presented here. Even though he goes to great pains to say that he's not advocating the complete self ghettoizing of Christians, it can come off that way. I would like to propose a different way. We can call it “The Don Bosco Option.”
St. John Bosco (1815-1888) lived during a time of political, social and religious upheaval in Italy and Europe. The industrial revolution had finally come to the Italian peninsula, which itself was transforming from a mere geographical expression, made up of various principalities and occupied territories into an independent, unified nation. In the rest of Europe, the attempted restoration of the old order after the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars came to an end, which saw the ultimate victory of constitutional republics over the old absolute monarchies. With these changes the temporal power of the Catholic Church, as it had been exercised and understood previously also came to an end. The newly formed Italian state was in conflict with the Church, placing strict limits on how she could function, and what social and educational services she could give. The state even prohibited the Church from founding new religious orders. It was in this anticlerical atmosphere that Don Bosco struggled to start his educative pastoral project on behalf of the young.
In a way, Don Bosco’s oratory was a small, intentional community, where young people and those who served them lived the Gospel and preserved culture. It was an island of prayer, where youth could engage in wholesome recreations and learn a trade. They were meant to be a shelter from the increasingly secular society around them, which was losing touch with Gospel values.
But the boys weren’t meant to live out their entire lives at the Oratory. It was there that they received a well-rounded Christian formation so that they could go out and become involved citizens. They were meant to be a leaven that transformed society, helping to form a true Christian culture. They were to go out, putting into practice the spiritual and practical lessons that they had learned so that they could change the world, a little at a time. As disciples of Christ we aren’t called to simply stay closed in on ourselves, focusing in on a small list of issues that affect us alone. We are called to be voices crying out, preparing for a “Christian Revival,” but not from behind monastery walls. While the monastic vocation is valuable, as Salesians we are called to go out engaging, with joy, the culture, always ready to give reasons for the hope that we have in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 3:15).
Don Bosco, while seeking to shield his boys from the moral dangers of the streets, and the ideological dangers of anticlerical textbooks, going as far as writing his own History of Italy for use at the Oratory, wasn't afraid to work with "the enemy." In formulating the Salesian constitutions he consulted with government officials, including the very author of some of the anticlerical laws, to see how he could formulate a rule that would pass muster with both the state, as well as the Church.
In all this Don Bosco gives us an example to follow. A Salesian work, be it a school, a parish, a youth center, among the many types of works we run, should form intentional, Christian communities. They should be sanctuaries, where the culture of life is lived. When a student, parishioner or member enters, he or she should have a sense that they are in a different place, guided by different values than those of the world. At the same time they are being prepared to go back out into the world to engage others. They should be ready to live the faith with integrity, while being active, engaged citizens. This engagement can come with dangers and sacrifices. It's not for no reason that there are Salesian martyrs among the saints and blesseds of the Church. While there's still is a need for the Benedictine spirit, and those who embrace it, the Salesian call, and I believe the call for most Christians, is one of membership in an intentional, formative Christian community that leads us to active engagement with the world.
More thoughts on this to come.
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