Mission Monthly – February 2004
“It is impossible for the mind to escape disturbing thoughts, but it is possible, for any who take sufficient care, either to admit them or to reject them… . For this reason we use frequent reading and constant meditation in the Scriptures that thereby we may acquire a memory stocked with spiritual things; for this reason, again, is our oft-repeated chanting of the Psalms, that we may thereby win a constant sense of compunction. This is the reason also of our careful watchings and fasts and prayers, so that the mind, weaned from the things of this world, may not savor what is earthly but may behold the things of heaven.”
Saint John Cassian
I remember hearing a quote attributed to Fr. Alexander Schmemann where he said something like this, “The sins people committed fifty years ago are no different than the sins people commit today. The difference is that past generations knew what it meant to be ashamed.” This is a powerful allegation upon our generation, one which deserves our contemplation. It is possible to “behold the things of heaven.” says St. John Cassian, because “it is possible”to battle and be “weaned” from our temptations.
The first question that I would ask myself is do I take “sufficient care” to shield myself from disturbing thoughts? Here, maybe above all things, is truly the heart of the matter. In our day I believe that we as a people do not take sufficient care to guard what goes into our eyes, ears, mouths, and even what we touch, carelessly exposing ourselves to things that will indisputably disturb us. Secondly I also believe that in general we do very little to “stock our memories” with heavenly things.
I’ve probably shared this before so please be patient with me. Towards the end of my father’s life, as he struggled with his cancer, there were many times when his sleep patterns were very irregular. When he couldn’t sleep at night he would often go into the basement and watch television. We didn’t have cable in those days so all that was available was the network channels. It was a Friday night after midnight on NBC, Dad was telling me the next day, that he saw “virtually pornographic” music videos. He went on to say that he was at least “glad it was a late night broadcast so children would not be awake to see that trash!” I hated to break the news to him that music videos like that were being broadcast to the eyes and ears of our children 24 hours a day on MTV and VH1.
That was 14 years ago. This story is not only telling for its time but it is even more telling today because of the increasing freedom and frequency with which alluring images are being broadcast. The self-gratifying and explicit, violent and sexual content of virtually all entertainment and advertising fills our minds with disturbing images and ideas beyond comprehension. Sadly I doubt that few of us are even aware of how desensitized we have become to this disturbing reality. In many cases I actually hear people (and not only teenagers) say, “That stuff doesn’t affect me.” What is it about ourselves that we can often so casually expose ourselves to explicit and graphic imagery and believe that it won’t affect us? Maybe Fr. Alexander was right, maybe we have lost a sense of shame.
As Christians, and Orthodox Christians in particular, what are we to do in this world that imposes a standard that excludes people who aren’t up on the latest fad, fashion, taste, movie, song or sport? Some of us may be saying to ourselves, “I don’t really care about that stuff.” But make no mistake about it—we are all affected by “this world.” Maybe this is the most disturbing thought of all, that at times people (and yes, even Christians) are more interested in fitting into the standards of the world than into the standards of God’s Kingdom. Are we unaware, forgetful, or do we even care to see how severely opposed these two standards are?
In St. Matthew 11:12 we are told that “violence” will be required from us if we ever hope to acquire the possibilities of this promise. First we have to admit that we are desensitized and attracted to images and thoughts of the worldly mind. Secondly we have to stop being careless in accepting the standards of the world, and be proactive in rejecting them. We have to make direct choices that reflect a clear desire to feed our minds with heavenly thoughts and flee that which will certainly disturb us.