A New Member Changes Us

In our Constitution we say that we open ourselves to be changed by a new member who wishes to join us, and we also open ourselves to the Spirit speaking in her. Recently our local community was blessed with a new member. Are we ready to be open to being changed by her?

This is one of the challenges of community life.  We know she will bring her gifts and share them with us. But what about her food preferences?  Is she vegetarian? Allergic to gluten? Since she is Vietnamese she will want to prepare some food she is familiar with. We need to be willing to eat what she prepares. She is a student, so will she need more quiet in the house?  Does she have any art work she would like to display on our walls?  These are just some of the beginning questions we explore with her.

The pace of our prayer needs to be slower since she still struggles with some English words.  One way we are showing her that we are trying to be open is that we say the Our Father in Vietnamese.  This is the first time that I have lived with someone from an Asian country, so I feel my life is being enriched by her presence. However, no matter who the new member is, change should always be a part of the community dynamic.

When someone new comes into your life, are you open to being changed?