ninja nuns

The weather has been too nice to be indoors much lately and the news has been beyond tedious anyway, but finally comes something cheering. Those of you who recall the “New Year’s Predictions” thread will also remember that nobody predicted this one. I’m really liking this “Nuns on the Bus” thing, it’s absolutely brilliant;

AMES, Iowa — Republican and Catholic Congressman Steve King of Iowa should have known better than to disappoint a nun, especially a group of them who have come clean across the United States just to see him.

But that is exactly what he did Monday, leaving a small typed note taped on the door of his newly opened Ames office that said he was meeting with voters across his newly redrawn Iowa 4th Congressional District.

Yet despite the blustery early morning, unusually hot even for Iowa, there stood the faithful: Iowa voters of every age, as well as Catholics, non-Catholics, fallen-away Catholics and those with no religion at all, ready to welcome four sisters from NETWORK, a national movement of people challenged by the Gospel to act for justice, especially the teachings of Catholic social justice.

Hundreds of supporters stood waiting for Nuns on the Bus to arrive at the congressman’s headquarters, the opening spot in their multistate bus tour that ends July 2 in Washington, D.C. At that time, more than 15 nuns from a variety of orders will have rotated off and on the tour bus getting to know people and trying to meet the voices of power in hopes of raising awareness among Americans of what the sisters say are the devastating effects Congressman Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget plan would have if passed.

There’s a very robust progressive and civilized tradition in some contemplative Orders of the Catholic Church for which I have enormous respect. (There’s an appalling history that goes along with it with some of the other Orders, of course, but some are extremely progressive). The difference between the work taking place there and the stiff-necked reactionary bullshit from the Church hierarchy couldn’t be more pronounced. And now here come these ladies, who have already been cautioned by the Pope to cool their jets. Not a chance. Good for them.

And behold—they’ve already got Steve King running for cover. Brilliant. This is going to be fun to watch.