Monastic Hula Dancing
by Roy Howard
John Updike once said he wanted to write with the same dedication as the monks whose vocation is to carve Psalms on the bottom side of choir seats. I can’t find the reference anymore but the quote has lived with me for years. Why? I imagine those beautifully carved choir seats that few people will ever see and wonder about those monks practicing their craft with that same knowledge. Did they carve for the joy of their art, and the praise of God, without any desire that they be recognized? Were there moments when they longed to flip up the seats for the world to see? And what about John Updike? What did he perceive in these monks that brought him to desire the same attitude for his craft? I think he wanted to find that sweet spot where one’s vocation is fully lived without regard for the recognition of others.
This brings to mind another man who sought a way to live his vocation fully without regard for the recognition of others. Jean Vanier, the French Roman Catholic, who many years ago was so moved by the conditions of mentally disabled adults in an institution in France that he founded a home to care for them. In the beginning he took in only a few men and began to form a community of mutual care. He called this community L’Arche and now there are communities all over the world of developmentally disabled adults living alongside those without disabilities sharing their lives in a very deep way. What makes this similar to those monks carving the bottom of choir seats is the joy that exudes from the people living fully into their vocation. Some of the residents at L’Arche communities could be pursuing high profile careers making large sums of money. Instead, they have found the deepest joy by living in deep friendship with severely disabled persons whose lives are defined not by utilitarian values but by qualities of human dignity alone. Those who live with the same attitude as those monks carving choir seats receive the gifts that severely disabled persons have to offer.
One of the more remarkable things about the congregation I serve is the inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities. We have a group of adults with mental disabilities who have been fully embraced in this community for years. The church has developed a purposefully designed curriculum for their “Friends” class and several members rotate as teachers, while other drive them from their group homes. They participate in worship, sitting alongside persons with advanced degrees and high profile positions in Washington DC. They live with us as a great witness to the love of God and the fullness of humanity.
Last week my wife and I hosted a party for them, as we do each year, at our home along with their teachers and drivers. Our time together was one of the most astonishing events bearing witness to the transforming power of a community of love and compassion. This year we went with a Hawaiian theme - complete with hula dancing and special Hawaiian music and food. It was just a delight for all of us to be having so much fun and laughter together. I’m certain this is what Jesus meant when he talked about the reign of God coming among us when the least are first and we all sit at table together.