Digital Monasticism

After Theodosius declared Christianity to be the official religion of the Roman empire in 392 the Church saw a deluge of people joining its ranks.  Some individuals were hungry to follow Jesus but a fair number of them were simply trying to win points in the eyes of the powerful people of their day.  In a very short time joining the Church went from being a costly decision that one made after much thought to simply being the "in thing" to do.  As such Christianity became a watered-down version of what it had been just decades before and while there were some who were rejoicing in the explosive growth there were others who were greatly concerned.

Those who felt this burden decided to flee from the corruption of the Church and society to instead seek after God in the wilderness.  Men like Saint Anthony and women like Syncletica pioneered a life of the pursuit of holiness, seeking after the Presence of God and total separation from society.  And while these actions have been considered extreme and in some cases unwise - it was these monks and nuns that kept alive a genuine faith in God for over a thousand years while mainstream society settled into a Christian worldview that often missed the heart of the call to discipleship and total surrender to Jesus.

Critics of monasticism are warranted in many of the things they have to say about the failure of these early monks to be salt and light in the world. Saying that one who completely abandons all contact with unbelievers in order “to fully obey God” has already disobeyed Him by not being the witness He had called them to be. I agree with this and concur that we should be “in the world but not of it”. But while I may not see the need to go to an abandoned place in the desert somewhere and live alone in a shack I do feel a similar concern for the distraction and demand for our attention that is coming from all of our phones and devices.  And while I will stay in society, work a normal job and make friends with people who both follow Jesus and those who do not - I am seeking more and more to isolate myself from deluge of news and entertainment that is having a greater and greater impact upon my heart.

Matthew 6:22 says that "the eye is the lamp of the body" which is to say that whatever captures your attention will actually be what illumines your heart and your life.  The news in particular has become more and more an avenue to create animosity, bitterness and offense in people's hearts.  This is true of all news sources no matter where they fall on the political spectrum.  It seems as if its a strategy of news organizations to report on stories from certain angles that are most likely to infuriate their base.  We all know that sex sells but anger and fear may sell more.  And like sexual sin after we have drank in the fruit of bitterness and despair that comes from reading the news we find ourselves far from the Lord and in a less godly state.

So my solution for now is to make like the monk and flee.

Flee from the news.

Flee from entertainment.

Flee from all the weights and entanglements that seek to weigh down my heart and blind me to what God is doing in my day.

Help me to stay on that narrow way oh God.  Help me to walk the ancient paths.