From Brokenness to Community Book

When I received this book in the mail, having neglected to check the page count before I ordered it, I couldn't help but laugh at how tiny it was. A mere 52 pages, it really is a bit comical to hold it in your hands, and yet it still managed to pack a punch between its covers. I found myself underlining quite a bit of this and much of what he said resonated a lot with me. I wouldn't necessarily say that any of it was mindblowing or even felt very new (especially after reading his larger work, Community And Growth, and lots of Henri J.M. Nouwen), but it bore repeating.

One thing I found interesting, especially after reading a lot of liberation theology, is my discomfort with his use of the beatitudes and the notion of poverty. There is no doubt that people with severe mental and physical disabilities are to be counted among the oppressed of the world and in most cases are indeed poor, and I don't even disagree with his invitation for all to become spiritually poor to experience the Kingdom of God. However, it seemed as though his words could be used to obfuscate God's identification with the materially poor uniquely (beyond the more abstract spiritually poor) and the socio-political and economic implications that that has. Towards the end of the book, he sort of chastises "clubs" against racism, nuclear war, etc. as missing the point and failing to see the enemy within their own self. While I think that could potentially be really true and convicting, I was disappointed in his failure to recognize that now all antagonism is created equal (that of the oppressor towards the oppressed and vice versa) and without the outward action and advocacy of these "clubs" there would likely be very little actual change...something he himself doesn't necessarily need as a white man. With that said, if you can sort of excuse that element of the work, I do think the invitation into spiritual poverty is a really true and beautiful notion, and the book is still packed with helpful wisdom and insight on community living despite its size.