Radical Trust
By Melanie Guste, RSCJ
“Trusting in the fidelity of God and in the love of my sisters, I make these perpetual vows….” (Constitutions of the Society of the Sacred Heart , #119) With this statement of commitment, “the professed give themselves to the Society which, in turn, places its fate in their hands. “(#109) Renewed annually in community, these publicly made commitments form a deep bond of mutual trust and accountability for the life and mission of the Society of the Sacred Heart.
In a world that is characterized by so much unpredictability and uncertainty, suspicion and doubt, insecurities and mistrust, it seems important to attend to the invitation of trust.
For some, trust can seem myopic or naïve, a denial of fact or an escape from reality. For others, trust is an act of courage, of fidelity and faith. For some, trust is passive and folly. For others, trust is a form of activism and resistance.
For many, social trust is declining. For many, trust in one’s government is declining. For many, trust is variable, dependent on factors such as geography, finances, race, age, gender, generation, and, yes, one’s political party. (Pew Research Center, 2025)
For all, trust is a choice and a decision, something that Brené Brown considers a “product of vulnerability that grows over time and requires work, attention, and full engagement.” (Daring Greatly, p. 51) In other words, trust has an active voice—it demands expression in words and deeds.
Reflecting on trust, it seems more like glue than paper: it bonds us, connects and unites us in a way that makes us “stronger together.” Trust is an act of justice and peace, an act of hope and faith.
Questions for Reflection:
- In whom or what do you place your trust?
- How is trust enacted in your own daily life? In what ways are you growing in trust?
- What causes trust to flourish in your life? In your community? In society?
- How might you be an agent of trust in your community? To what does radical trust now invite you?
Image by Ernst Lund from Pixabay