Two weeks ago I said many sad goodbyes to my friends, examples, and heros serving around the world with Word Made Flesh. The theme of our triannual WMF Staff Gathering together was STABILITY. The book, The Wisdom of Stability: Rooting Faith in a Mobile Culture by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove was our primary guide for learning and challenge together. Since my copy never made it to Buenos Aires before the Gathering, I am now catching up and reading the book during my time in California.
The book is timely for me in understanding the primary role of stability in formation and spirituality. My generation and those younger tend to avoid commitment and settling into one place for too long. I think there is a fear that by putting down roots for the long haul, we will miss out on something…new experiences, new growth, etc. But, the wisdom of this book reminds us otherwise! Wilson-Hartgrove points us towards Benedictine spirituality and rhythm of life as our example. The Benedictine Rule requires commitment to stability, fidelity to monastic life, and obedience. Benedict put stability first. “If we’re going to climb Jacob’s ladder toward the humility of Jesus, Benedictine wisdom says the first thing need is a stable place to begin” (43).
I am just halfway through the book. But I thought I would share some additional quotes that have resonated with me this week. To hear Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove introduce the book in his own words,
click here for a YouTube video.
Chapter One – Foundation Work
“…Christian wisdom about stability points us toward the true peace that is possible when our spirits are stilled and our feet are planted in a place we know to be holy ground. When we get this stability of heart deep down inside us, real growth begins to happen.” (13)
“We learn to dwell with God by learning the practices of hospitality, listening, forgiveness, and reconciliation – the daily tasks of life with other people. Stability in Christ is always stability in community.” (18)
“True stability can never be a product for individuals to consume. Rather, it is an invitation to shared life with a particular people in a specific place.” (21)
Chapter Two – A Place to Begin
“Someone asked Abba Anthony, ‘What must one do in order to please God?’ After encouraging the pilgrim to keep God before his eyes and pattern his life after Scriptures, Anthony added, ‘In whatever place you find yourself, do not easily leave it.’” (35)
“Maybe the single most important thing we can do if we want to grow spiritually is to stay in the place where we are.” (39)
“Perhaps stability is the great leveler in a society of widening gaps, calling each of us, whatever our social status, to acknowledge the extent to which we are equally bound by powers beyond our control.” (46)
“…picking up fragments of spiritual wisdom can begin to feel like trying to piece together a tree from limbs that we’ve broken off here and there. Even if we gather enough limbs to make a tree, something is still missing. Life just isn’t in the pieces the same way it is in a tree whose roots are fixed in the soil of a particular place.” (48)
Chapter Three – Stability as a Craft
“…in a workshop we learn from others the craft of life with God, which is, like all crafts, embodied in a living tradition of practices. The name Benedict gives for this workshop is ‘stability in community.’” (60)
“In short, there is no stability without a way of life; no rhythm of life together without the commitment to stay.” (61)
“Rest…is the place where we learn the rhythms of the work we were made for from the One who made us. Rest is coming home to the way of life that fits, learning to inhabit the story of God’s people and practice the craft of life with God wherever we are.” (61)
