The tenth step of humility is that he is not given to ready laughter, for is written: Only a fool raises his voice in laughter (Sir 21:23).

The Rule of St. Benedict, 7:59

Our reading of St. Benedict is perhaps veering into the ridiculous here. The text shows its context most clearly in passages such as these, and it becomes difficult to make connections between a prohibition on laughter and how to live more humbly in our world today. Perhaps words could be said about avoiding the trivialization of the solemn, but as a firm believer in the idea of holy laughter, I will leave such arguments to others.

The ninth step of humility is that a monk controls his tongue and remains silent, not speaking unless asked a question, for Scripture warns, In a flood of words you will not avoid sinning (Prov 10:19). and, A Talkative man goes about aimlessly on earth (Ps 139 [140]:12).

The Rule of St. Benedict, 7:56-58

The eighth step of humility is that a monk does only what is endorsed by the common rule of the monastery and the example set by his superiors.

The Rule of St. Benedict, 7:55

I think one of the great losses of the Church in the modern age, and something that in my opinion probably contributes to the rapid decline in membership in the West, is the idea of the Church as a community of interest in our lives. What I mean by this is, the Church should be a community we take a part in that has a claim on our lives, and on the way we live in the world. The Church should have some claim or interest over how we live, and consequently, the ability to chastise and direct us when we fall away.

While that may seem a rather authoritarian view of the Church, I think the opposite model of community does a disservice to itself, to people, and to the world, when it is not. A Church that does not put claims on those who in turn claim the name Christian then becomes liable to be held responsible for the worst actions of those people. Why do so many people view the Church as a den of hypocrites? Not just because we harbor hypocrites (we were in fact commanded to do so), but because the Church does not often call out the hypocrisy, but more often, closes ranks around the hypocrite, in the name of power or influence or defensiveness. Through this process, those who don’t want the Church to cast its moral voice upon itself come to power, further removing the Church from its own moral voice and consequently, from its ability to speak with authority in the world.

So what would be a good practice for Christians to reclaim? The practice of confessing to one another our failings, and the the consequent practice of the Church demanding the best of its members. Far from being merely a system of control, this is crucial to the Church’s moral witness in the world and its ability to be the hands and feet of Christ.