Tài liệu Crafting a Rule of Life by Stephen A macchia docx

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Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Spiritual Practices as Fuel for the Soul
1 Mother Teresa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
From Silence to Service
2 Dietrich Bonhoeffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
From Prayer to Discipleship
3 Watchman Nee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
From Study to Evangelism
4 Martin Luther King Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
From Community to Proclamation
5 Fairuz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
From Worship to Freedom
6 Desmond Tutu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
From Sabbath to Reconciliation
7 Oscar Romero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
From Submission to Martyrdom
8 Courage, Joy and Celebration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Study Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
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Introduction
S P  F   S
B
Throughout the entire history of Christianity, holy
women and men of God have shown their inner spiritual lives by
active engagement in social justice in defense of the poor and op-
pressed. Some were sanctified (declared “saints”) or beatified (de-
clared “blessed”), according to their traditions.
1
Others, such as
Oscar Romero, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Watchman Nee, were mar-
tyred because of their faithfulness in living out God’s heart for
justice. In every era, Christian leaders have shaped compassion
and justice movements around the world.
For iconic spiritual figures such as Mother Teresa and Martin
Luther King Jr., one might ask how their Christian faith shaped
their mission. How did the condition of their souls influence their
ability to lead? What is the relationship between their practice of
spiritual disciplines and their effectiveness in shaping movements
of social change? Is the cultivation of one’s soul a requirement of
Christian-oriented justice? In considering these questions, I began
to look for resources to shed light on particular Christian disci-
plines practiced by heroes of the faith.
As a Christian leader and activist, I resonate with the social
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10
Just spi r it ual it y
justice tradition. I live a fast-paced life. I am more productive when
I am busy, but I wrestle with what it means to operate from a sense
of peace rather than one of frenzy. Spiritual rhythms challenge me.
I work for a Christian international development agency. My work
focuses on responding to global poverty and injustice in the Middle
East. I travel several days every month. I work long hours. I am pas-
sionate about my job and consider it a privilege to pour myself into
my passion and calling. As deeply meaningful as I find my life and
ministry, I struggle with what it means to be spiritually centered. I
want my life to be fueled by the power of God and intimate con-
nection to the person of Jesus. I wrestle with the connection be-
tween my justice-oriented activism and my desire for intimacy with
the Creator.
One of the strengths of the social justice tradition, according to
Richard Foster, is “constantly calling us to a right ordering of so-
ciety—right relationships and right living.”
2
The tradition of social
activism also has significant weaknesses, however. Foster identifies
one of the greatest risks of the social justice stream as “caring for
social needs without reference to the condition of the heart.”
3
This
book seeks to address the core of that concern. Why is the culti-
vation of one’s soul so important? What differentiates the en-
gagement of the body of Christ from the justice-oriented action of
other groups? How might we as Christian leaders and servants
learn from those who have gone before us? What can we do to be
molded, shaped and transformed more into the image of Christ in
our work of compassion and justice?
Just Spirituality responds to these questions by looking at
the examples of seven Christian leaders and their practice of spir-
itual disciplines. Intended to help readers understand the way spir-
itual practices deeply form our views of and responses to the world,
this book includes historic examples of Christian leaders who have
inspired powerful movements of compassion and justice around
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Introduction 11
the world: Mother Teresa (India), Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Germany),
Watchman Nee (China), Martin Luther King, Jr. (United States),
Fairuz (Lebanon), Desmond Tutu (South Africa) and Oscar Romero
(El Salvador). How did the spiritual lives of these leaders influence
their concern for the poor, their responses to the oppressed and
their activism to overturn unjust systems?
Many books have been written about Martin Luther King Jr.,
Mother Teresa and other significant Christian leaders of justice.
This book is unique because it looks more deeply at the specific
spiritual lives and practices of these leaders and how faith practices
shaped their advocacy. These leaders became some of the most in-
fluential servants of justice the world has ever seen. Just Spirituality
lends greater understanding of the spiritual rootedness of historic
justice movements around the world.
Spirituality is the mechanism by which we come to understand
God’s work in our souls and the world around us. The spiritual lives
of Christians are further fostered by discipline and intentional en-
gagement with God through Jesus Christ. Just Spirituality presents
the case that the practice of disciplines—such as silence, prayer,
study, community, worship, sabbath and submission—provide the
fuel by which people are inspired to make a difference in the world.
These disciplines are not mutually exclusive, and certainly many, if
not all, were practiced simultaneously by the spiritual leaders high-
lighted in this book. It is helpful to look at the distinct nature of
each of these spiritual practices, however, in order to consider how
we might apply them to our own lives. This book provides lessons
from history as Christians in the twenty-first century seek to inte-
grate spiritual lives with God’s call to make disciples of all nations,
respond to the needs of the least of these and anticipate the kingdom
of heaven.
People often ask me whether there is a difference between
Christian service and secular responses to needs in the world. I be-
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12
Just spi r it ual it y
lieve strongly that the Christian faith is of huge import and deeply
affects the way individuals and groups respond to needs and injus-
tices. Christians must pay close attention to the development of our
souls if we desire to live out God’s justice in the world. There is a
direct correlation between one’s relationship with God and actions
of kindness, mercy, compassion and justice. The practice of spir-
itual disciplines empowers and equips Christians to better engage
with society and exercise justice.
In addition to introducing a key figure of justice, such as Mother
Teresa and Bishop Tutu, each chapter also includes a contemporary
person who practices that discipline in her or his own life and min-
istry. These individuals represent ordinary people doing amazing
things: Sami Awad (Palestine); Wenche Miriam (Norway); Princess
Zulu (Zambia); and Alexia Salvatierra, Daniel Hill, Efrem Smith,
Larry Martin, Mark Labberton and Gary Burge (United States).
Each chapter also includes a section on contemporary praxis (re-
flection paired with action) to explore how we might apply that
particular spiritual discipline in our lives today.
The first chapter tells the story of Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun
who founded the Missionaries of Charity Sisters in Calcutta, India.
Mother Teresa’s work and ministry has shaped the world’s under-
standing of God’s heart for the poor. What was the source of her
strength of character and deep-seated love for suffering people?
Mother Teresa had a deeply intimate relationship with Jesus that
was fostered by several spiritual practices, most remarkably her
commitment to silence. She often said: “Souls of prayer are souls of
great silence.”
4
During her life as a monastic, Mother Teresa under-
stood how the spiritual discipline of silence changes us, inside and
out. As a person becomes more connected to themselves and to
God, clarity of purpose emerges out of the silence. The spiritual
discipline of silence directly motivates and compels people toward
other-oriented service.
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Introduction 13
The second chapter addresses the spiritual discipline of prayer
by looking at the model of German pastor and theologian Dietrich
Bonhoeffer. Like Mother Teresa, Bonhoeffer understood the rela-
tionship between silence and prayer. He said, “To pray is to be
silent and at the same time to cry out, before God and in the
presence of His Word.”
5
Deeply motivated by the Scriptures, Bon-
hoeffer led a life of strict discipline and personal piety that in-
cluded rituals of prayer throughout the day for himself and the
seminary students he mentored. Bonhoeffer’s commitment to
prayer sustained his conviction to live out Christian discipleship
regardless of the cost.
Chapter three tells the story of Watchman Nee and his pro-
found influence in leading an evangelistic movement across China
during the communist revolution. He felt God’s call on his life to
be a voice warning and inviting others into relationship with Jesus.
Self-educated and deeply committed to the study of God’s Word,
Watchman Nee became one of the most influential evangelists and
church planters in the early twentieth century. Nee’s devoted com-
mitment to the spiritual discipline of study of Scripture is a
marked example of the power of the gospel to build up the body
of Christ.
Chapter four expounds upon the life and ministry of Martin
Luther King Jr. Known as the esteemed leader of one of the greatest
social justice movements in history, King was also one of the
greatest preachers of American Protestantism. The community of
Montgomery, Alabama, facilitated the growth and spread of King’s
ministry and the spiritual giant he would become. Richard Foster
claims Christian community is one of the major weapons of
fighting the global battle against injustice. In pursuit of what King
called “beloved community,” King understood the transforma-
tional power of God at work through the lives of people around
him. As a result of God’s power through the community of Mont-
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Just spi r it ual it y
gomery, King became one of the leading voices of proclamation on
behalf of God’s love and justice in the world.
Worship supersedes culture and tradition as a powerful source
of prophetic proclamation about God’s heart for justice. Chapter
five tells the story of the Lebanese Christian singer Fairuz, whose
worship and music has penetrated the divides of nationality and
religion and become a unifying force for Arabs around the world.
Music has often played a significant part in justice-oriented move-
ments, from the hymns of the civil rights movement in the United
States to Fairuz’s Easter album about the holy city of Jerusalem.
Fairuz’s personal piety is a source of strength and centeredness for
her strong justice-oriented conviction. Her worship music and
Christ-centeredness are beautiful expressions of the spiritual disci-
pline of worship as a call to freedom.
Chapter six addresses the desperate need of Christian social ac-
tivists to observe the sabbath and include rest in their regular pat-
terns of life. Perhaps the most difficult spiritual discipline for those
involved in causes against injustice is that of sabbath rest.
Throughout the Bible, writers place an emphasis on the observance
of the sabbath as a way to honor God and rest from the toils of
one’s labor. Desmond Tutu, one of the leading reconcilers involved
in ending apartheid in South Africa, is a justice-oriented leader
who took to heart the commands of Scripture for rest and the ob-
servance of the sabbath. Looking at Bishop Tutu’s example, one
becomes deeply convicted about the necessity of observing the
sabbath to enhance movements of justice.
Absolute submission requires the complete denial of self for
the sake of Christ. Chapter seven tells the story of Oscar Romero,
a Latin American priest who served as the bishop of the Roman
Catholic Church in El Salvador. Bishop Romero, who was deeply
committed to the faith and regularly engaged in contemplative
practices, reminded the church of the need for submission to the
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Introduction 15
cross of Christ. His leadership directly challenged people in
power in El Salvador by criticizing injustice, oppression, assassi-
nations and torture. His example and willingness to devote his
life to ending injustice is a profound example of the spiritual dis-
cipline of submission.
The devotion and spiritual intimacy with God of these seven
heroes of justice allowed them to permeate the oppression and
suffering surrounding them. Just Spirituality leans on the ex-
ample of these men and women while providing practical tools
(ideas for praxis) for the reader to engage along the way. A study
guide at the end of the book provides further opportunity for re-
flection. Do not feel obligated to read this book quickly or from
one chapter to the next. Rather, read slowly, giving yourself time
to reflect on spirituality and faith practices in your own life. You
may want to read a chapter each week (or month!), individually
or as a group, and practice the discipline discussed during that
period of time.
Engagement in spiritual practices leads to Christ-centered
action through works of justice such as service, discipleship and
reconciliation. At the same time, justice-oriented action also leads
back to reflection through spiritual practices such as silence, prayer
and study. The correlation between reflection and increased social
action is not linear. Justice-oriented spirituality is a cyclical process
in which social action leads people closer to God; similarly, spir-
itual disciplines compel people toward increased engagement in
social action. The spiritual practices discussed are recursive disci-
plines that simultaneously draw people closer to the heart of God
through reflection and action.
Each of the practices focuses on an aspect of the spiritual life
that helps to put us in a place where God can speak, intervene and
transform our hearts and minds. Mother Teresa reminds us that the
“silence of the heart is necessary so you can hear God.”
6
Prayer and
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the study of Scripture are powerful tools by which we can remain
connected with our Creator and understand the world. Lest our
pride become a stumbling block, community provides an earthly
voice to hold us accountable while offering encouragement and
admonishment along the way. The Lord is certainly worthy to be
praised in our worship. As we gain a better understanding of God’s
heart for justice, our worship becomes both more holy and
right eous. I pray this book might provide some encouragement for
rest and observance of the sabbath as we submit ourselves to the
powerful and saving person of Christ Jesus.
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1
Mother Teresa
F S  S
B
Silence is at the root of our union
with God and with one another.
Mother teresa
1
Today I woke up very early at my parents’ home in rural
southern Maryland. The rest of the house is quiet (which is un-
usual!), and I am entering into the silence of the morning. The
view from my parents’ living room overlooks the Patuxent River,
one of the largest estuaries of the Chesapeake Bay. The water is
rolling gently. The sun is just starting to make its mark on the corn-
fields across the river. I can see the trees along the shoreline gently
blowing in the wind. There are soft sounds of birds in the distance
and other outside creatures making noise to greet the day. The
sounds are soothing. In the stillness of the morning, my heart
enters into silence. As I do so, I am reminded of how much one is
able to hear when the mind and heart are stilled.
“If we face God in prayer and silence, God speaks to us.”
2
Mother
Teresa, minister to the poor in Calcutta, reminds us of God’s desire
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