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Oprah and the Nuns - What Was Missing?
February 10, 2010
| Oprah Winfrey and Sisters
Did you have the opportunity to see yesterday's Oprah Winfrey Show? I received several phone calls, "Do you have your tv on? turn on Oprah...she has nuns on her program!" I was enroute in my car at the time so only managed to see the last few minutes of the show. That was enough to pique my interest so I stayed up past my bedtime to watch the second running of the show.
What are my thoughts and impressions of the show? In the big-picture-scheme-of-things I am glad that religious life had a venue in secular television land. I think the women interviewed from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist were sincere in their enthusiasm and dedication in living out their call to religious life. Their reasons for the choices they made to enter, and why they continue to stay, were well articulated. It was very evident that they, no doubt, are good women - seeking God on a journey together.
All that said, I think that Oprah failed to present religious life in its total breadth and width and missed an opportunity to try to dispel the long-lasting stereotype of sisters. I kept waiting for something in the program to broaden the picture of "nuns" and present the other faces of religious life in today's world. Other than a few pictures flashed on the screen and a quick mention that there are other ways to live religious life, this never happened.
This may seem like a strange analogy, but I kept thinking about ice cream. Oprah only told us about vanilla ice cream. Vanilla ice cream is great. I like vanilla ice cream...but, think of all the other wonderful flavors of ice cream in this world. Why not talk about some of the other flavors? On several occasions, Oprah referred to what the sisters said and described it to the audience as "the way sisters live" or "a nun's life". Actually, she was describing the way the Dominican Sisters of Mary live out their charism and call on a daily basis. For those not familiar with religious life or who haven't had the experience of knowing many sisters, I fear that Oprah concretized the image of a sister into a singular one. Oprah's statements make a particular, unique reality seem as though it is exactly like that for all of us. The rest of us women religious have unique histories, traditions, lifestyles, and practices as well. Our daily lives look very different from one another's depending on the congregation from which we come.
I wish Oprah had done two things differently. The first, if only highlighting one community of sisters as she did, then provide a different framework for the audience, i.e., this is ONE way to live religious life... just like there are many ways to practice medicine, be a mom, be President of the United States, run a company or be a talk show host. Second, give her audience a chance to sample more flavors of ice cream - sisters/nuns come in all forms from cloistered to apostolic and everywhere in between and beyond. What a great educational opportunity this could have been. And, think of how much more the thousands of viewers could have learned.
Ice cream wasn't the only thing that came to mind as I reflected on what this program meant. On a much deeper level I immediately thought of the scripture (1 Corinthinians, 12: 4) "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same spirit". Religious life - each congregation and order -is a gift of the Spirit to the Church and world. Each one IS different. That IS the gift. One is not better than another and all are needed.
Wouldn't our Church and world be a happier, more just and peaceful place if we would all, first, become aware of the different flavors of ice cream, then learn to appreciate, share and celebrate the beautiful colors, textures and combinations we could create!
I am glad Oprah gave us a taste of religious life in today's world - vanilla is good. I hope she calls other religious women and invites them to her show so that more than vanilla is served!
All that said, I think that Oprah failed to present religious life in its total breadth and width and missed an opportunity to try to dispel the long-lasting stereotype of sisters. I kept waiting for something in the program to broaden the picture of "nuns" and present the other faces of religious life in today's world. Other than a few pictures flashed on the screen and a quick mention that there are other ways to live religious life, this never happened.
This may seem like a strange analogy, but I kept thinking about ice cream. Oprah only told us about vanilla ice cream. Vanilla ice cream is great. I like vanilla ice cream...but, think of all the other wonderful flavors of ice cream in this world. Why not talk about some of the other flavors? On several occasions, Oprah referred to what the sisters said and described it to the audience as "the way sisters live" or "a nun's life". Actually, she was describing the way the Dominican Sisters of Mary live out their charism and call on a daily basis. For those not familiar with religious life or who haven't had the experience of knowing many sisters, I fear that Oprah concretized the image of a sister into a singular one. Oprah's statements make a particular, unique reality seem as though it is exactly like that for all of us. The rest of us women religious have unique histories, traditions, lifestyles, and practices as well. Our daily lives look very different from one another's depending on the congregation from which we come.
I wish Oprah had done two things differently. The first, if only highlighting one community of sisters as she did, then provide a different framework for the audience, i.e., this is ONE way to live religious life... just like there are many ways to practice medicine, be a mom, be President of the United States, run a company or be a talk show host. Second, give her audience a chance to sample more flavors of ice cream - sisters/nuns come in all forms from cloistered to apostolic and everywhere in between and beyond. What a great educational opportunity this could have been. And, think of how much more the thousands of viewers could have learned.
Ice cream wasn't the only thing that came to mind as I reflected on what this program meant. On a much deeper level I immediately thought of the scripture (1 Corinthinians, 12: 4) "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same spirit". Religious life - each congregation and order -is a gift of the Spirit to the Church and world. Each one IS different. That IS the gift. One is not better than another and all are needed.
Wouldn't our Church and world be a happier, more just and peaceful place if we would all, first, become aware of the different flavors of ice cream, then learn to appreciate, share and celebrate the beautiful colors, textures and combinations we could create!
I am glad Oprah gave us a taste of religious life in today's world - vanilla is good. I hope she calls other religious women and invites them to her show so that more than vanilla is served!
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