The Carmelites who make Mystic Monk Coffee were trying to secure land in Wyoming for a new monastery.   A new community with an explosion of vocations needed a quiet space for their anonymous way of life dedicated to communion with God and interceding for the salvation of the world.   They had been working for years to secure a piece of property for precisely this purpose.  They found some beautiful acreage conducive to a life of discipline and prayer.  They believed that somehow this was part of God's plan for them.  But then, things did not fall together the way they had hoped.  After struggling to secure financing, Bill Gates bought it out from under them.  See http://bit.ly/pZnUg.

Contemplative life in America has had a rocky road.  Most people, even Catholics, do not see any value in it.   It does not produce very much.  If it benefits the mission of the Church, it is not because it is the source of successful parish or missionary programs.   Its fruits are hidden.  But contemplative life is good for society - it helps a civilization stay civilized because it reminds us of the goodness and beauty of humanity.  Without such a reminder, America runs the risk of being dehumanized. 

Monks would say that it is precisely because their way of life is hidden and lowly that God uses it for great good.   In my own experience of monks, I have found contemplative life a school of human authenticity where men and women discover who they really are and learn how to love God and themselves, for God's own sake.  It is an anti-materialistic, anti-consumerist enterprise.  Entrepreneurs and business men must be baffled by it.  This is why I am not sure that Bill Gates fully realized he was depriving America of when he bought the land out from under these holy men.

There is so much beautiful country that would benefit from the stewardship that monastic communities are able to provide.  A few years ago, the movie Into Great Silence showed us the human and natural beauty of living a life dedicated to God. (see http://www.decentfilms.com/sections/articles/groning.html)  The film by Philip Groning depicted the monks of the Grande Chartreuse - a nine hundred year old monastery in the Carthusian Mountains above Grenoble, France.  The splendor of nature integrated with a peaceful life dedicated to God struck a chord in the hearts of those who were spellbound by the two hour and forty-five minute mostly silent film.  I was present at three showings, packed, where no one moved even after the film ended.  And, to the surprise of even the Carthusians, the film was held over in theatres across Europe and America. 

The Grande Chartreuse is part of the history of Europe and France, because it informed the European consciousness with a noble idea of what it means to be human.  Namely, the most important things in life are not found in material success, commercialism or having control over the lives of others.  Humanity does not exist simply to produce things and to fight.  Instead, humanity is an end in itself - it is good for its own sake because God made it that way.  Men and women can live in harmony with God, one another and with nature - and when they do, it is beautiful.    Monasteries, like the one the Carmelites want to found in Wyoming, are living icons of this truth.

For the size of the American continent and for the centuries it has been civilized, there are not very many monasteries or places of prayer.  The contemplative vocation requires a space that is silent and beautiful.  This is because monks and nuns normally do not leave their monasteries for any length of time.  They live a quiet simple life, day in and day out, training their hearts away from the noise and distractions that often drowned out the voice of God.  In our loud industrial post modern society, this requires a large amount of land in remote areas.  While our country has dedicated a significant portion of land to national parks and forests, Americans do not typically think about dedicating large portions of land for religious purposes.  For this reason, we remain largely deprived of any contemplative dimension to our culture. 

Mr. and Mrs. Gates have established themselves as philanthropists in many ways.  Now they have an opportunity to contribute to something that may well contribute to our way of life for a millennium.  If Into Great Silence is any indication, helping the Carmelites establish their monastery is a contribution that will help America remember its humanity.