LiA Reflection 7: June 6

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This week concludes my LiA, as I return from Lyon to New York. I’m using this final week to reflect on my experience and connect with the Community at the Crossing, part of the global Chemin Neuf network, located at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan.

As I reflect on my experience at the Abbey, I want to share one photo that really encapsulates my time there. This was posted in the room with work boots and farm clothes:

The photo shows cows from the farm and text from Psalm 133 - in English, it reads, how good and pleasant it is for brothers to live together and be united! 

“Community life,” as I experienced it at the Abbey, could mean many things. It shaped everything, from the way brothers and sisters spoke to each other (everyone was referred to as tu, never the formal vous), to the ways in which we shared work, to how we ate all our meals together. But critically, their community life was radically inclusive - it included volunteers like me, visitors from the local area, global members of the community, and even the animals of the farm.

Defining community life in this expansive way definitely changed how the Abbey did things on a day-to-day and long-term basis. In particular, while working on the farm, I saw how respect for plants and animals led freres and soeurs to responsibly cultivate their resources. The attitude of community was so ingrained in their way of life that everything was valued and nothing was wasted. All forms of life were celebrated from beginning to end, and freres and soeurs found joy in working hard together.

For me, this experience has reshaped the way I think about leadership. I now see how community building is absolutely essential for any sort of leadership, as well as the impacts that unity of purpose can have on an organization. I am grateful to the Laidlaw Foundation for this experience and to the Chemin Neuf community for their warm welcome!

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