Beating Swords into Plowshares

by Mona Shaw

Many know about Dorothy Day’s work with the poor and her anti-war activism. Not as much is known about her as a brilliant intellectual and gifted writer. Her book All the Way to Heaven is one of my favorites. It’s just not merely food for thought, it’s an endless and sumptuous banquet. Her keen intelligence led to acts of profound and comprehensive wisdom.

Brian Terrell (a life-long Catholic Worker, who lived with Day) told me a story about Dorothy several years ago that has catalyzed endless insights as it continues to refuse to leave my daily consciousness.

It seems that one day at Mary House, a man arrived and gave Dorothy a valuable diamond ring from an estate.  Dorothy thanked the man and noted it was lovely and generous.

She, then, called to a homeless woman who was a guest of the house.

“Mary,” Dorothy said, “I think this ring will fit you.”

She placed the ring on Mary’s finger

“It does fit. It looks so pretty on you.  It’s yours.”

Unsurprisingly she was criticized for this. How much could have done for the poor if she had sold the ring instead?  But, in her infinite wisdom, she knew that selling this bauble would perpetuate it as a symbol of class oppression. She knew that long after the proceeds from its sale were spent, it would land on some wealthy woman’s hand as a flagrant witness of class supremacy. She resisted class inequality by taking one tiny weapon away from the war on the poor.  It was a brave, longer lasting, and more powerful gift to the poor.

This remains a prevailing guide in much that I do.