Ordinary Faith

I mentioned in my last post the prevalence at Prov V of the hero model for what a Christian is supposed to do, and how one is supposed to live. There are a number of good points about this sort of model. One of the biggest is its strong emphasis on going out and doing great things in various arenas of public life, in fighting the good fight against the forces of darkness. The victories against apartheid in South Africa are prime examples of the good that comes from this view. It is a fairly warlike model, however, especially if it is taken to its most extreme form. One downside is a direct result of the praise given to the heroes. Anyone who, through no fault of their own, is not in a position to do anything particularly extraordinary for any great cause is left standing around when all the cheering for the heroes is done like a foot soldier after the generals have driven past. Each person has played a particular, necessary role in the work of the great men and women, but the lowly foot soldier will probably never get much recognition from anyone.

This brings us back to the question. What does faithful living look like for those who will never be great like Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu?

Like I said in my last post (the one that comes after The Labyrinth), I think some hints can be found in the passages used in the noon devotion for individuals and families from the BCP. "In returning and rest we shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be our strength." As I noted the last time I reflected on this bit of scripture, it comes from a part of Isaiah in which the prophet is castigating Judah for not acting as if they believe that this passage is true. Setting aside Judah’s failings, what sort of daily living does this point to?

The first thought that occurs to me is that what is depicted is a stylized image of the feminine. It isn’t a picture of real women any more than the fleur de lis is a picture of a real lily, it merely shares some characteristics with what has been praised as the feminine ideal. My patchy recollection of Asian philosophy suggests that it is very much in line with the understanding of yin or the non-action of Taoism, but I know to little to say more in that direction. If I was more steeped in Marian devotion I’d probably be thinking of all the ways in which Mary Theotokos shows us how we ought to live as Christians. I’ll save that thought for a future reflection and stick with the generic image for now. Usually obedience and the passionate, nurturing care associated with motherhood are added to the image. The later of these two doesn’t quite seem to fit with returning and rest or quietness and trust, but obedience certainly does, especially with the second pair of attributes. Let’s think about each pair in a bit more depth.

Quietness and Trust

The beginning is a sort of silence. It is not absolute; it doesn’t reach outside of itself to make everything else quiet. It is simply quiet in itself, letting everything that comes in from the rest of the world flow over the silence and either pass away or take root. This is where trust and obedience, at least to God, starts to become evident. It takes trust to let go of the outcome of our actions and remain quiet in our heart. The trust also reinforces the quietness by reassuring us that whatever comes up it won’t destroy the foundations of our life. This trust is naturally trust in God who is found in quietness and stillness rather than fire, thunder, or an earthquake.

We can’t always remain silent, however. There are many circumstances in the world which cry out for correcting. Pain and suffering are all too common companions in the world, especially away among the poor. These things require action and in very real ways that takes us away from quietness and trust.

Returning and Rest

This brings us back around to returning and rest. What are we returning to, and where are we resting? We are returning to rest in the quietness and trust in which we began, and from which we moved to action. This completes the cycle from the quietness and trust in which we are best able to receive the grace God is pouring out to the actions and righteousness called for by the righteousness and holiness of Go and back again to the quietness and trust without which all our striving can easily become a foolish incarnation of the idea of salvation by works.

I think it is probably clear enough what sort of work calls a person from quietness and rest, Scripture is clear about the importance of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and generally taking care of those in need, but what does the state of quietness and trust actually look like in this life?

The first major component is daily prayer. Daily prayer, whatever form it takes, helps center one on God in whom we trust. It also provides a grounding daily routine in the same way that any daily routine can provide stability to what might otherwise be a crazy, hectic series of mostly unconnected days. The prayers, depending on their form, also provide a break from the rush that makes up most of daily life in the US.

The second major component is doing the daily chores that are required to keep one’s home, clothes, and self clean. Like daily prayer this is a part of the daily routine that provides a sense of permanence to the cycles of life. With daily prayer this is the most clearly a living out of quietness. There are two other parts that are important for keeping this from devolving into a shutting out of reality including God as God is.

The third major component is study. Not study for the purpose of getting ahead in one’s career, that’s more like work, but study for personal edification. For me this would be reading the works of theologians, mystics, and other writers influential in the life of the church. For example, I recently read a book on church history by the current Archbishop of Canterbury and I’m currently working my way through a book called the Cloud of Unknowing.

The last major component is presence in the broader world. Mostly this is more or less social. Things like playing FFXI can be a presence in the broader world since very few gamers are devout church-goers, but hanging out to bars and engaging in ones civic duty (aka voting) would also work. Keeping up with the news (local, national, and international) would also be an important way to make sure the rest of the world is present to influence one’s action.

These last two components are the first steps towards action, especially the last component. Action carries one away from the quietness in which one can hear the Lord most easily, and that brings us back to returning and rest, completing the cycle. Action is the final essential component of the whole system, not because it is a part of quietness or the return, but because it is a fulfillment of the grace that flows through the quietness and opens up the possibility of returning to the quiet. Action is also where one’s career is probably best found, otherwise it is likely to either be mind numbingly boring or not seem like work at all which could throw off the balance of the whole.

It strikes me that, in many ways, this may be like a generic monastic life. Looking into Benedict’s Rule would perhaps be an enlightening experience.

In the future I will probably offer a reflection on the Virgin Mary as an exemplar of Christian living, and, after looking into Benedict’s Rule a bit more, a bit of a reflection on that way of living.

Jon