There was a movement in the early church that drove people from the heart of the Empire to live in solitude. It was a small group of people who chose to flee to the desert in order to escape the materialism, corruption and persecution that came along with the culture of the city. They created a new culture. A culture that was founded on minimalism, connection with God and caring for the poor. These men became known as Fathers of the Desert. While the movement was recognized primarily in the third century, their roots can be traced back to Jesus’ day, where hermits (translates from the Greek to desert or uninhabited) such as John the Baptist chose a solitary life in the desert.
Living in the most connected and resourced generation in history, I have fleeting desires to go off and unplug. I told Amanda a couple days ago that I would love to take a trip to an old monastery and hang out there for a while. Walk the (what are in my imagination) dark halls that echo your footsteps. Take part in prayer time and stroll through the compound at a quiet, leisurely pace.
While I don’t think that family vacation is going to become a reality, the motivation behind it remains. Sometimes in our media-saturated culture, we need to find ways to disconnect with our social networks and favorite television show and simply spend some time in quiet, before God.
I am not surprised to hear of a movement of New Monasticism. Not at all, because I feel the desire to steal away from culture and tend to a small, intimate group of people is a reaction to the Creator God inside of us. Connection is a desire that points creation to a Creator. Along with that connection is a deep sense that everything is okay, somehow, some way, God is working things out for our good. This can get lost in the fray of our rat race society, and we can turn away from God’s Shalom in our lives.
Today, I hope you allow yourself to unplug for at least a moment to recognize and take part in a peace that passes all understanding.