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Step 1: Renunciation
In a word, what the soul is to the body, Christians are to the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians throughout the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, but is not of the body; likewise Christians dwell in the world, but are not of the world. The soul, which is invisible, is confined in the body, which is visible; in the same way, Christians are recognized as being in the world, and yet their religion remains invisible.2
It is clear, then, that renouncing the world means far more than abandoning urban society for a monastic community. This is part and parcel of monastic life, but not of all Christian life. The rest of us have a powerful role to play within society by living a Christ-centered, not a world-centered, life. St. John of the Ladder
2 Letter to Diognetus 5:1–6:4 in Michael W. Holmes, ed., trans., The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translation, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 701–705.
Sample pages only. Purchase the full book at http://store.ancientfaith.com/thirty-steps-to-heaven-large-print-edition-the-ladderof-divine-ascent-for-all-walks-of-life/ was keenly aware of this also. When he was asked how those who are married and living amid public cares can aspire to monastic ideals, he answered:
Do whatever good you may. Speak evil of no one. Rob no one. Tell no lie. Despise no one and carry no hate. Do not separate yourself from the church assemblies. Show compassion to the needy. Do not be a cause of scandal to anyone. Stay away from the bed of another, and be satisfied with what your own wives can provide you. If you do all this, you will not be far from the kingdom of heaven.
The outward circumstances of life are not the same for all of us. Whether we are celibate or married, whether we are living in a monastic community or a marital one, whether we are living in a bustling metropolis or a remote village, we are all called to renounce everything for Christ. This does not mean rejecting and abandoning our careers, families, and friends
Copyright ©2013 by Theodore Christopher Vasilis
