A ‘seamless’ garment is woven between Thomas Merton, Joseph Cardijn, and Dorothy Day. Their lives n the 20th century have laid a foundation for us in the 21st century to bring the Kingdom of God here and now. For living and making real the Sermon on the Mount.
All three individuals were known for their spiritual insights and their commitment to social justice. Merton was particularly interested in the relationship between contemplation and action, and he believed that true spirituality should lead to engagement with the world and a commitment to social change. Day lived the practice daily as an American journalist, social activist, and campaigner in defense of the poor, forsaken, hungry, and homeless. Cardijn lived and taught his lifelong dedication to social activism and working toward improving the working class, students, and families.
The Christian Workers Movement was a Catholic organization that emerged in the early 20th century in Europe. The movement aimed to promote labor’s dignity and support workers in their struggles for better wages, working conditions, and social justice. The movement was influenced by Catholic social teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, and an understanding of the common good for the greater good of humanity, which is all about social justice.
All three individuals were promoters of the goals of the Christian Workers Movement and believed that the movement represented an important expression of Catholic social teaching. They saw the movement as a way for workers to organize and fight for their rights, and they believed that the movement could help to create a more just and equitable society.
Merton wrote about the Christian Workers Movement and saw the movement as an important example of how faith could inspire social action. Cardijn believed the movement represented a powerful expression of the social gospel, emphasizing social justice’s importance and the church’s role in promoting social change.
Overall, Day’s Living the Christian Workers Movement demonstrates a commitment to social justice and the belief that spirituality and social action are intimately connected.
They saw the movement as an important example of how faith could inspire social action. They believed the movement had much to teach us about the relationship between contemplation and action.
As we enter a new era of emerging technology, what is now called the autonomous revolution, once again, we will experience the effects on workers, not only blue-collar but white-collar and no-collar workers. Once again in history, the rise of emerging technology will challenge us to think about what it means to be a human and the difference it makes.
I have mentioned before in my classes that the ratio to use is 1/3 to 2/3, meaning humans will work in jobs, careers, etc., somewhat similar to today over the next twenty years but will work 2/3 less time in the role or job. And 1/3 of the job functions today for humans will not exist, but new ones will.
Now think about the societal phase change that brings to our understanding of the value of humans. The economic system will drastically change; why? Because it has to, just as it has over the last two revolutions, we as humans have endured. The concept of a single measurement of a company’s success will change. Begin to think about measurements such as people, property, planet, and purpose in life. And this is where the critical thinking of See-Judge-Act will be necessary, and we need to be ready to engage.
Begin to think of the implications of practicing religion within the context of emerging technology and the cause/effect of artificial intelligence. Think what a parish, a diocese, a learning community, and a faith community, our communities as members of the Jocist methods, will look like with this technology. How will it change, and how fast? What will the field of medicine become and law? Think of the implications not just on science, jobs, and careers but on literature, art, music, entertainment, movies, learning, and education. How will politics change? Will we govern in the same manner? Our understanding of the Jocist methods will reach new levels of involvement in helping the world endure societal phase change.
We will hear more and more about AI and autonomous technology in the news because emerging autonomous technology is becoming marketable. (That is a whole post by itself ) And all who work on this are aware of the societal phase change that occurs; the more people get educated, the less fear there might be in their hearts and minds.
The question is, will we as humans drive society to create the necessary guardrails? Keep in what it was like when automobiles first hit the road, and we had no driver’s ed, signs or directions, etc.; all that came about because of the societal phase change, and many paid the price. Can we do better this time around in an emerging revolution?
Richard Pûtz
Photos
Thomas Merton,/ Jim Forest / Flickr / CC BY NC ND 2.0
Dorothy Day / Wikipedia
Joseph Cardijn / Joseph Cardijn Digital Library
…”Our understanding of the Jocist methods will reach new levels of involvement in helping the world endure societal phase change.”
Amen.