Last evening, I stood at my window and watched the setting sun turn the sky into a vast arrays of reds and purples, colors that give a whole new look to a pretty regular looking sky, and I thought about some of my recent readings on the desert dwellers. Some of the teachings of the Abbas and Ammas of the desert are deep and rich, and deserve to be cultivated. But some of their writings reflects more of the spirituality of their times, especially an extraordinary hatred of the flesh.
We now know that such hatred is counter to good spirituality and to stable mental health, to a wholeness that heals and a balance that protects us from illusion. And I wondered, should we not be producing new Abbas and Ammas of the desert with a spirituality resonate with present understanding of God and appreciation for nature? Should not we ourselves become the new Abbas and Ammas of the desert?
For what is the desert but our own interior journey, one that at times is filled with dryness, emptiness and tepidity. And where is that desert if not in our own thoughts and spirits struggling to make sense of it all, to make it all matter by seeing with eyes of faith. I would bet that not a single follower of true spirituality can say that she or he has not undergone such a desert in life. And I am just as sure that such followers have found richness, depth, and transformation from walking through these very deserts of the soul.
Your thoughts should be written down. Your thoughts should encourage us with dialogue, reflections, and insights.
You are a real desert Abba or Amma. Would you be willing to share your thoughts with us?
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