God is closer to sinners than to saints

The Desert Fathers and Mothers can at times be worryingly severe, annoyingly obtuse, and not infrequently clearer in their thinking than any 21st century clued up, theologically literate, culturally aware, postmodern follower of Jesus. Ironically, with their refusal to answer questions with closed answers, and their penchant for the two sentence story, and with their restless refusal to accommodate living for Christ to the urges of the prevailing culture, these representatives of extreme Christian discipleship help us survive the desert of consumer religion and consumerism as religion. And despite their no-nonsense approach, they could be movingly gentle in their understanding of who God is and what God is about in our lives. here’s a favourite story.

"God", the elder said, "is closer to sinners than to saints."

"But how can that be?", the eager disciple asked.

And the elder explained. "God in heaven holds each person by a string. When we sin we cut the string. Then God ties it up again, making a knot – bringing the sinner a little closer. Again and again sins cut the string – and with each knot God keeps drawing the sinner closer and closer." (Page 29)

The story is recounted in The Rule of Benedict. Insights for the Ages, by Joan Chittister. If Chittister wrote a commentary on an Argos catalogue or the small print of a credit agreement, I’d almost be tempted to read it. She is a Benedictine sister whose writing on feminist spirituality, issues of social justice, and the complexity of living with and for others, is fresh, sensible and honest about how tough it is just to keep going as a Christian.

For years I have returned periodically, to the Rule of Benedict, and the core values of Benedictine Spirituality – prayer, study, work, hospitality, community, stability, and an immensely impressive and humane balance between the life of the mind (study), of the heart (prayer and community), and of the body (physical work or exercise). The people who have helped me understand how a monastic rule which shaped western civilisation can still decisively shape the life of obedience to Christ today are Chittister, Esther de Waal, Kathleen Norris, Maria Boulding, Columba Stewart and Thomas Merton. I’m currently meandering in an orderly way through Chittister for the severalth time.

I’m beginning to work at what might become a paper on Benedict and the Baptist. Might post it if it works…meantime here’s a brief comment from Chittister that is now written in my journal:

Clearly, living life well is the nature of repentance. To begin to see life as life should be and to live it that way ourselves is to enable creation to go on creating us. (page 28)