The Pelicans’ Nest discussion

These two words take on new meaning in my recent readings, not just in Day's Autobiography but in the journals of Thomas Merton and other recent readings.
Both Day and Merton recognize the potential good in Communists, and wish that modern Catholics and Christians would show the same zeal. Speaking of her friend Rayna, Day comments, "She never met a Christian. THis I am sure is literally true. When we were at the university together, we never met anyone who had a vital faith, or, if he had one, was articulate or apostolic." Merton reflects this same thought in his early journals. He notes that Christians know the truth, but they do not articulate it.
As for anarchy, it seems that Day has an understanding that is apart from the bomb wielding anarchist that comes to mind when I think of the word. Her concept of anarchy is related to Kropotkin's concepts and a sort of idealist distributism. Recently, I was angered by the US having left the Kurds without our defense which had been propping up their fight against ISIS. As I learned about the situation, I read about Rojava, the autonomous region of Northern Syria on the Turkish border. This area had been established under the leadership of Abdullah Ocalan who had based his vision on Murray Bookchin. The vision is that of a stateless system of community rather than big government. In many ways it was working. It was one of few places where Christians, Muslims, and Zadikis were living together; women had equal rights, and the militia was maintained purely as a defensive measure.
I am sure everyone sugar coats their own stories, but it sounds like an interesting attempt to live out some of the vision espoused by the early Dorothy Day.

The word anarchy does call to mind violence and chaos. My idea of it was altered when I was a teen and young adult who had embraced Alcoholics Anonymous whole heartedly. AA is a self described anarchy in its government. So, although the term brings those strong pictures to mind, the flagrant punk, and the weapon wielding street anarchist, it also brings to mind an order aimed at the good.

The community and caring for those of the group is something strongly lacking in the Christianity of today. When I had my reversion, it gave me, and still does give me, great reaentment toward the Catholic Church and Her lack of community.