Religious versus social work
Two book reviews - of Hope Endures, by Colette Livermore, and Finding Calcutta, by Mary Poplin.
Reviewed by Kara Martin
Colette Livermore decided to join Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity Order straight from school. In doing so joined she joined an exclusive community and took vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service to the poor.
From the start she struggled. She fought against some of the rules of the order that seemed contradictory, such as not caring for the poor during times of prayer or study, even if they came knocking at the door desperate for attention. She was constantly being chastised for her disobedience, even if there seemed a legitimate reason.
However, at every point when she wavered about leaving the Order, her overwhelming desire to help the poor overcame her misgivings, and she went on. She spent 11 years serving the poor until finally the randomness of decision-making, the apparent pettiness of her superiors, and her belief that more could be done to help the poor, drove her to seek to be released from the order.
Her story is interesting and told with candour and some humility. She is critical, but not bitter, and it is a fascinating anatomy of a loss of faith.
Mary Poplin was a new believer when she decided to spend two months working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. It was in 1996, just a year before Mother died. Mary had amazing access to Mother Teresa and learnt three important lessons that seem to address some of Colette’s issues.
1. It is religious work not social work. Mother Teresa’s commitment was to be Jesus to the poor. When she was criticised for treating the symptoms, not the causes of poverty she replied, “I will look after their todays, you can look after their tomorrows.”
2. See Jesus in every person. Mary struggled with this teaching, but one day she was looking after a profoundly disabled child who had vomited, and suddenly Mary had an overwhelming sense of love flow through her, enabling her to go beyond just caring for the child. This was a spiritual experience of Jesus working through her.
3. Fall more in love with Jesus every day. Mary found her faith grew enormously during her time with Mother Teresa, and when she went home she was determined to live Jesus’ way more fully. This led her to experience a calling to teach a Christian worldview course in the secular university where she is a professor.
In the end we have two books that talk about Mother Teresa’s influence. Colette’s story is a reminder that we are all faulty humans struggling to live Jesus’ way. She challenges us to care more dynamically for the poor in our midst.
Mary’s story reminds us that the spiritual dimension can transform what we do; that each of us has an individual calling; and that we can be challenged to be like Jesus right we are, toward the people around us.
KARA MARTIN is a lecturer with Macquarie Christian Studies Institute (www.mcsi.edu.au), and is an avid reader and book group attendee. Kara does reviews for Heart 1032’s Open House (www.theopenhouse.net.au).
