Complaining is the acid that shrivels our own souls and the soul of the community around us as well. ~Sr. Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict

Nothing sends fear like a dagger into the hearts of librarians more than the dreaded monster known as Damp. If you reshelve even one single, lone damp book back in the stacks, it can, over time, infect all the books. Hidden within the stacks, the Damp will turn to mildew, which will expand and reproduce silently, traveling from book to book until someone notices the overpowering smell of mold, and a whole section of infected books has to be tossed in the dumpster.

I think Damp and Complaining are two sides of the same monster. I have seen one damp, bitter, snarky, murmuring complaint have the same effect on a community, spreading the mildew of discord or a spirit of ingratitude, infecting conversations, attitudes and outcomes. When I worked in a library, a damp book was only allowed to be reshelved after it had thoroughly dried out, been inspected and cleared.

Lent is a season that affords us all an opportunity to take stock of our habits and attitudes, including our tendencies to shop our complaints and grumblings around, and to seek instead spiritual practices like silence, stillness and self~control that will reorient us toward the mind of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and on our lips. This is a moment in our common life when we can stop, repent and begin again, choosing what words we speak and listen to with great intention and care.

For Reflection

Where does complaining show up in your communities? How can you choose or encourage a different approach?

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