Enteringintodialogueabouthowtolivecourageously
inthesetumultuoustimes,unafraidtoveerinto“taboo”
topics,emboldenedbythesenseofmutualrespect
andinspiration,Sistersandseekers(acrossthe
spectrumofrace,religion,andgender)leftgatherings
glowingwitha newsenseofconnectionandhope.Attheendofa gatheringinKalamazoo,one
millennialshared:“Ata timewhenit iseasyto
feeldisconnectedanddivided,ourtimetogether
revealedandstrengtheneda networkofauthentic,
emergingrelationships.Wearebuildinga new
community,a collectivemovement,working
togethertowardspeaceandjustice.”Anda Sister:“Attheendofthegatheringtheworld
wasmorecloselyknittogether.Anenergyhad
goneoutthatmadecommunityamongdiverse
groupsmorepossiblethaneverbefore.”InSt.Louis, 92 year-oldSisterIdaconcludedwitha
mandate:“Keepcreatingintentionalcommunities!”There’ssurprisinglylittlescripturespokenaloudat
thesegatherings.Indeed,theJewsseemtobring
upJesusmorethantheChristians.Butthereis
onelinethatisspokenbya Sisteratalmostevery
gathering:“Behold,I amdoingsomethingnew.
Doyou not perceive it?” (From the Book of Isaiah.)Weareallstilllisteningforwhatthisnewthingis.
Butsome clues are emerging.As congregations grow in age and dwindle in numbers,
Sisters have transitioned much of their institutional
infrastructure or “ministries” to lay leadership. In
doing so, they’ve become practiced at the art of
letting go, freeing themselves up to respond to new
calls to action, while finding ways to ensure that the
mark of their charisma remains in the hospitals,
schools and nonprofit organisations they’d started.The Nuns & Nones' conversations are revealing
another critical institution that hasn’t received
as much attention or care in transition, yet is
among the most worthy of legacies to pass on and
reimagine together: Sisters’ extraordinary way
of life and the institution of community itself.Based on decades of experience living in self-
governing, women-led, resource-sharing, justice-
oriented, spiritually-rooted, risk-taking, “counter
cultural” communities of contemplation and
action, Sisters have a wealth of wisdom to share
with a younger generation setting out to serve and
heal in a fractured world. Reading the signs of the
times and walking together, we are beginning to
hear a common call to help incubate new forms of
community rooted in love and committed to justice.10 DUMBO FEATHER