I watched Oprah Winfrey's television show yesterday. Her correspondent took us to places the average American NEVER gets to see. One of these was a nun's convent in Michigan. (Show title: Keeping the Faith)
Here, women as young as 18 tiptoe through life in marriage to Jesus Christ. The youngest and oldest among them went on camera to describe the freedom that came from two vows in particular: poverty and chastity. The piece showed how deeply satisfied the nuns are with their choice to follow their calling.
Religious views aside, I could not deny that their poverty vow mirrored a key theme in this Back-to-Basics Blog. We are so inundated with material things that we will likely never be satisfied, no matter how luxuriously we live.
And the vow of chastity is not much different. Due to an obsession with self-image, we will likely never be pretty enough, no matter how perfect we look.
At a convent, these absurdities are shut off, and each women is free. But for those of us who do not have the religious calling to give themselves to a man we've never met (and willingness to share that man with thousands), we are stuck with shutting out the senselessness on our own.
The nun feels peace because she has dedicated herself to a husband whose ideals match her own, and everyone around her shares this dedication. Meanwhile, we must fend for ourselves and often conflict with the aspirations of many of our acquaintances: our housemates, our friends, our family, our coworkers, strangers, and even the television and Internet. We struggle for the nun's freedom without incarceration behind a convent's walls.
It's important to keep in mind that going against the grain of society should not be a dedication. Society is an unpredictable and constantly changing thing. Dedication to peace, harmony, good health, and a light step on the earth leads to a deeper satisfaction than avoidance or rebellion ever could.
Freedom from materialism and self obsession can be achieved. It's not easy, but neither is moving away from your family and loved ones to enter a convent for the rest of your life.
Here, women as young as 18 tiptoe through life in marriage to Jesus Christ. The youngest and oldest among them went on camera to describe the freedom that came from two vows in particular: poverty and chastity. The piece showed how deeply satisfied the nuns are with their choice to follow their calling.
Religious views aside, I could not deny that their poverty vow mirrored a key theme in this Back-to-Basics Blog. We are so inundated with material things that we will likely never be satisfied, no matter how luxuriously we live.
And the vow of chastity is not much different. Due to an obsession with self-image, we will likely never be pretty enough, no matter how perfect we look.
At a convent, these absurdities are shut off, and each women is free. But for those of us who do not have the religious calling to give themselves to a man we've never met (and willingness to share that man with thousands), we are stuck with shutting out the senselessness on our own.
The nun feels peace because she has dedicated herself to a husband whose ideals match her own, and everyone around her shares this dedication. Meanwhile, we must fend for ourselves and often conflict with the aspirations of many of our acquaintances: our housemates, our friends, our family, our coworkers, strangers, and even the television and Internet. We struggle for the nun's freedom without incarceration behind a convent's walls.
It's important to keep in mind that going against the grain of society should not be a dedication. Society is an unpredictable and constantly changing thing. Dedication to peace, harmony, good health, and a light step on the earth leads to a deeper satisfaction than avoidance or rebellion ever could.
Freedom from materialism and self obsession can be achieved. It's not easy, but neither is moving away from your family and loved ones to enter a convent for the rest of your life.
