I collect words. Rather than dolls, coins, stamps or old cars,
I gather quotations, descriptions and interesting specimens, delving into their
histories when I can, and trying to understand their contemporary uses.
Recently in my reading I came
across the sentence, “They were bodacious old men, the lot of them” (in
Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead). I immediately took to the word bodacious,
enjoying the mouth-full-of-pebbles sound it has when said out loud, wondering
what “bodacious old men” would be like and if I knew any.
Webster’s to the rescue. I
learned that the word combines Latin and Old English roots and probably was a
blend of “bold” and “audacious.” Yes, I
do know some people like that.
George Fox and other Quaker
ancestors come to mind. I love how Fox’s Journal
dispels stereotypes of Quakers as silent, passive mystics who wear odd clothes
and eat oatmeal. Fox confronted his context full of the energy and prophetic
fire of the Spirit. In short, he was
bodacious.
Bodacious doesn’t necessarily
mean noisy and rude. In its most
positive connotation, bodacious Christians are those who have the courage to
speak and act, in specific times and places, according to God’s leading.
What are some of the ways
contemporary Quakers are (or should be) bodacious? I think of two of our core testimonies: 1) We
hold that Jesus as the living Word speaks to us today. (This often, but not
always, comes through the Bible, the written word, and is always in accord with
biblical teaching.) 2) And we believe
that as we follow the Word, God uses us as agents of peace and light in our
context.
I teach a doctoral level class to
Latin Americans on “Culture, Spirituality and Mission.” (For me, just accepting
to teach this class was a risky, bodacious move.) Last year the nine students who gathered in
Buenos Aires came from Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Guatemala, the Dominican
Republic, Puerto Rico and Hispanic USA.
They also represented as many different denominational traditions.
Class participation is always
high and discussions often heated (part of the Latin American learning style).
But at one point in last year’s session, I felt the discussion was getting out
of hand and decided to introduce the Quaker practice of silence for group
discernment. (After all, it was a
class on spirituality!) So I called
(shouted, actually) the group to order and briefly explained the process.
The reaction was not what I
expected. After a short, shocked silence, several students protested with
obvious anger. How could I suggest such
a thing? Why was I trying to silence them?
Was I a facilitator or a dictator?
Again I tried to explain, but they weren’t buying it. It became obvious that group silence was not
going to work then and there, and we resolved the issue in other ways. Later that day, the Brazilian student, the
most passionately expressive of the group, apologized to me for his attitude,
at the same time defending the importance of free, heated discussion.
While I agree with him on the
value of open expression, including the right to disagree, critique and argue,
I also believe that we Friends have certain insights and practices that would
be of service to the greater church in learning to listen to God. And I believe
there are ways to include God in our discussions, no matter how
controversial. (Yearly Meeting sessions
are great training grounds!)
This year, as I teach the same
course in Lima, I plan to prepare the class ahead of time for the possibility
of “a spiritual experiment in group discernment.” Maybe then my call to silence
in the middle of conflict will not seem quite so bodacious.
Peace-making in today’s world is
a bodacious enterprise, whatever form it takes.
It requires humility and the mercy of God. Let us live ever alert to the voice of Jesus
in all the contexts and situations in which we find ourselves. And then let us act and speak in ways that
are appropriately (sometimes quietly) bold and audacious. For the glory of God and peace on earth.
(First published in Quaker Life, August 2007)
Thanks again for this timely reminder. So much of the spirituality I encounter is contemplative. Makes me want to scream at times--it's so safe and controlled and inward-focused. In this context I need to be bodacious with humility and joy, not cynicism and fear.
ReplyDeleteHumbly bodacious--what a great concept! May God help us.
ReplyDelete