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The Life of Sister Dorothy Stang
Orbis Books, 2007
Occasionally we encounter people in our faith journey that make us realize we are truly capable of so much more. There are people we know in our own church whose example illustrates this truth. Obviously, the lives of the saints show us this, too. And sometimes, a book like Sister Roseanne Murphy's Martyr of the Amazon shatters our day-to-day excuses and demonstrates that contemporary, ordinary people like us can do incredible things in Christ.
Murphy's style of storytelling doesn't compare to the mastery of Dickens or Fitzgerald, nor does her investigative technique rival that of Woodward and Bernstein. It's no matter, however; the true and unadorned tale of Sister Dorothy Stang and her struggles to help the poor and marginalized of Brazil is more than enough to make this a compelling read. Murphy is quite capable and does solid work, make no mistake, but it's Sister Dorothy that makes this a page-turner.
The book starts in Ohio in the mid-1940s, providing a glimpse of both a family dynamic and path to vocations unfamiliar to many in the 21st century. From that foundation, the story moves quickly to Sister Dorothy's work in the southwestern United States and ultimately to the nearly 40 years she spent in the wilds of Brazil.
Hers was the consummate fight of the underdog for the underdog: a small woman, thousands of miles from home, mostly alone, championing the cause of poor farmers in the rain forests of a traditionally patriarchal South American country, hoping against all logic to win out over the wealthy landowners whose stranglehold on farming and ranching dated back centuries. Throw in profit-hungry, multinational conglomerates whose interest was suddenly sparked by the construction of the Transamazon Highway, and David and Goliath may not even be a fair comparison to the struggle Dorothy made her own.
It's against this backdrop that the reader could start to feel very small. As Dorothy tackles every obstacle, of which there are many, one can't help but think about their own obstacles -- trying to find time to finally start that Bible study, rounding up volunteers for the food drive, and dealing with the busy-body who dominates every meeting of the outreach committee all pale in comparison to Sister Dorothy's everyday obstacles. Yet, as she moves steadily forward, undeterred, always fueled with Christ's love for her fellow man, that sense of smallness one might be inclined to feel is quickly transformed into admiration and, perhaps more importantly, inspiration.
Martyr of the Amazon works precisely for this reason, this inspiration that Sister Dorothy's story creates. While it might be easy to feel guilty or frustrated by one's self-perceived shortcomings or lack of accomplishment, instead Sister Dorothy's story reminds us to dwell on what we can do if we simply continue trying day after day. She reminds us and shows us that "...with God all things are possible (Mt. 19:26)." It's an invaluable lesson of which we can never be too often reminded.
