The word “asceticism” can be
interchanged with the word “attitude”; the meaning is the same but it doesn’t
have the overtones of religiosity. In fact, what I will endeavour to do from
now on is to speak of the “secular ascetic” and the “Christian attitude”. This
is entirely congruent with the meaning of the word “ascetic”; one who is
severely abstinent. Secular asceticism
is the endeavour to separate oneself from God, evaluating everything from
the perspective of self, and acting as the one who is enlightened and who
enlightens. In contrast, the Christian attitude seeks to allow God’s love to
enter into us and transform us, to be enlightened by God.
The secular ascetic seeks to
be free, to be independent, to be in control – you must be in control! To do
this is to possess true understanding, real enlightenment. The individual who
is free from all imposition, social, cultural, and religious, so long as he or
she doesn’t cause public disorder, has become truly themselves. (Note how the
secular attitude is deeply infused with Gnosticism.)
When this attitude enters the
Christian person, it makes us become Pelagian: ‘faith’ (my life) becomes a human
project, I don’t really need Christ. The secular ascetic has today entered into
Christ’s people. We see this in the way that we too begin to evaluate the
worthiness or unworthiness of the Christian life as though it is just one way
of life among many. For according to secularism, Christianity is merely one
religion among many, just another way in which human beings can choose to seek
a better way of living – as though every individual, in his or her self-enlightened
freedom should be able to do just that. (Only, how silly to choose this
particular, rule-bound, way of life.)
Yet, being Christian is not
the result of an ethical choice, but is the result of an encounter with Christ.
Being Christian is not about what I do, but is about being joined to a person
and being transformed by Him. Christianity is not another way of seeking a
better life; it is being given a life!
The Christian attitude seeks
to be free of self-fixation, and to engage with Christ so that the reality of
His power becomes a lived experience. This is knowledge – receiving His
friendship, His power, His love. The Christian attitude doesn’t seek to be in
control, but to be converted, changed, transformed; the Christian attitude
seeks enlightenment from the one person who is able to give light. Openness,
rather than control. Relationship and commitment, rather than independence.
Surrender to God, rather than mere choice. This is what marks the Christian
attitude, and how different the reality of the Christian life is from the way
in which secularism portrays it.
The Holy Spirit was given to
humanity so as to get humanity accustomed to Christ, so that we could be united
to Christ. The secular ascetic is attempting precisely the opposite; to work as
hard as he or she can to close him or herself to Christ. The true human attitude is that which
the Holy Father will show us and lead us to be formed in.
"How beautiful on the
mountains … "
No comments:
Post a Comment