I’m slowly working my way through the classics of “Nun Cinema.” This evening I picked up “In this House of Brede” on video from the library. I will definitely be reading the novel by Rumer Godden of the same name. Beautiful. I hear the book is even more so.
In brief, “In the House of Brede” is the story of an English career woman/widow named Phillipa who answers a call to join a contemplative Benedictine order – the “House of Brede” in the title is “Brede Abbey.” One of my favorite scenes is at beginning of the film. She’s all set to walk toward the gates of the abbey, fashionably dressed and suitcase in hand. First however she turns around and enters the public house, where she proceeds to drink three LARGE glasses of whiskey and smoke half a pack of cigarettes. THEN she’s ready. After all, this vocation business is serious stuff.
Phillipa was called to seek her vocation in this particular place, as were the others in her community. Through prayer, work and common life together in this House of Brede, they came to know and love God all the more. At one point Phillipa, who among her other worldly talents is fluent in Japanese, is asked to go on Mission to found a convent in Japan. She can’t imagine “leaving Brede behind,” where after 9 years she has just begun to feel at home. One of the other nuns helps her to realize that she wouldn’t be leaving Brede behind. Brede is her home. Brede will always be with her. She is Brede. And she can take Brede with her wherever she will go.
It’s interesting. Watching the movie, I realized that of my almost 34 years on this earth, 29 were spent living in one of two places. The first 18 years were in my family home on Seabury Lane in Bowie, Maryland. The last 11 years have been in my duplex apartment in the Hawthorne neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. In between I lived in 2 dorm rooms, 2 houses off campus, and my brother’s house in Switzerland. But those were blips on the map of my stable, geographically rooted existence. Given that, you’d think maybe I’d feel called to monastic life. I seem so much to like to be rooted and grounded to a specific place.
Periodically, seemingly at the oddest of times, my spiritual director would blurt out, glee and excitement on her face … “You could end up anywhere! You never know where you’ll be called to serve.” Regular readers of this blog know that there is some trepidation and dragging of feet on my part when it comes to leaving my parish, my adopted home town of Portland, etc… And I certainly never would have imagined I’d be heading for a time to New Jersey!
But my director was right. If I’m honest with myself, deep down inside there is excitement at the thought that I have no idea where God will be calling me over the next 5, 10, 50 years. What I do know is that God is calling me to freedom, the place where I will best be able to safely, competently, and joyfully serve God & God’s people. That home is not a geographic place, but a community of women. Yes my groovy sisters serve and live in some specific geographic places. And yes I find some of those places more appealing than others. But we are an apostolic community, and part of the apostolic call is being open to where God is calling you. The cool thing is that as part of a religious community working and praying together but in various locales, you are always at home. In a way, the world becomes your House of Brede. I often think back to those two brave Sisters who traveled to the wild Pacific Northwest in the 1890’s to beg (in full habit) in the logging camps and found a hospital. And before them the brave sisters who left England to serve the Irish immigrant women in America. And before them the brave sisters who formed this new community, the Sisters of Peace, whose very name it was hoped would inspire a love of peace.
What I’m doing may be crazy. But I’m following in the footsteps of many crazy women before me!!
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