The Way of Unity

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What is the longing in my heart to be with others, to have friends, to find a soul mate? We are made in the image of God. God is Trinity, a community of persons whose love spills over to create all of us. Where have you found community?-- In your family of origin, in your sorority, in a friend group?  

Community life is essential to Dominicans. One of the psalms of night prayer,  Psalm 132 says,  "How good and pleasant it is for sisters to dwell in unity."  And yet friends don't always agree; marriages have to work at lasting; community life is not always pleasant.

 I am spending the weekend with a working group of the Sinsinawa Dominicans, The Antiracism Transformation Team.  The longer we have worked together the more we have come to know and love one another, but we also disagree vociferously.  Working to make a pathway for racial justice is challenging. At the end of the day after all of the different voices have been heard, we finally come to an agreement. It is then that the words of the psalm are felt as we gather to break bread and then visit with everyone.

The Dominican Way of community is to dispute well and to love well.

Joan Duerst, OP
Monona, Wisconsin


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