(22) In a Nutshell

"• We acknowledge the primacy of God: to look for God in ordinary
events of each day.
• We reverence all persons: To respect each person regardless of
class, background or professional skill.
• We reverence all Creation: To appreciate and to care lovingly for
all the goods of this place.
• We listen reverently with the ear of our heart: To hear keenly and
sensitively the voices of persons and all created beings.
• We are committed to stability of place: To appreciate the dignity
of work in God's Creation.
• We foster an environment of deep change--conversion: Enthusiasm
for conversion.
• We integrate a commitment to the common good and respect for the
individual: To develop a robust sense of the common good.
• We call the community together for counsel to make decisions: To
cultivate rootedness and a shared sense of mission: to stand firm in
one's promises.
• To practice hospitality and respect for all persons: To offer warmth,
acceptance and joy in welcoming others.
• We are committed to practicing simplicity and frugality: To be content
with living simply and finding balance in work, prayer and leisure.
• We are committed to practicing justice: To work toward a just order
in our immediate environment and in the larger society.

"Even though these values are targeted for Benedictine colleges, they
obviously appeal to the world at large."
[John Klassen, O.S.B., a presentation about "Benedictine Values in an
Educational Environment,"]

Comment: It was fortuitous happening across this presentation by
Abbot John. He nearly slips into a "nutshell" all the basics of the
Benedictine Tradition, ably making them applicable to the world-at-large.

What more can be said? There's certainly not much that I could add
without moving into a tome, in that I could write reams about each point--
how they could easily relate to this or that issue or need.

About all I want to say in this post is that Abbot John's presentation about
Benedictine values illustrates noticeably how beautifully balanced
Benedictine life can be, whether inside the monastery, whether beyond
the walls, out on the streets of this world. If practiced fully, what a better
world we would have.