Jane Adams

Jane Adams founded Hull House in Chicago to promote community and self-respect among the poor. She felt that industrial progress of the early 20th century had cast these people aside.  Pope Francis refers to such people as the ‘Throw Away Person.”  One of the reasons that Jane was aloof to organized religion is that she felt it tended to promote “personal virtue.”  She felt that the time had come to promote social virtue.  This challenges me.  How often do I talk about being judgmental, gossiping, having resentments, failing to forgive, all of which are personal faults requiring personal virtues?  Do I challenge people to be of service to the “throw away people?”  Do I name social injustices and challenge people to do something about them?  Should I challenge people to boycott company products where management fails to spend money to make the factories safe?  And who is making $$$ off the war in Iraq?  I just finished reading a novel, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halt-Time Walk.”  It is about the Iraq War.  Lots of stuff for me to ponder.  I don’t think I am at this moment the kind of guy to inspire Jane Adams to come back to church.