“You are the only person who knows how often acedia, with all its menacing consequences, has lain in wait for me.” So wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer to his dear friend, Eberhard Bethge. For those who don’t know, Bonhoeffer was a leader in the church during the Nazi era. This was written from prison. He was a prolific author, devoted pastor, and leader in the ecumenical movement. For me, learning that he struggled with acedia was surprising.
[Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons ponders the seven deadly sins]
Acedia is the Latin term for what is known as sloth, one of the seven deadly sins of the medieval church. It’s not so much a laziness of the body (though it could include that), but it’s more a sluggishness of spirit. It can manifest itself as a sort of depression. The word literally means a “lack of care.” The ancient monks called it “the noonday demon.” It sucks the life out of one who falls into it—by inducing a napping of soul.
The apostle Paul referred to himself as “the foremost” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). How could that be true? He might not have said he was afflicted by sloth, but still, with his immense service and love of the Lord, it doesn’t make sense.
Or does it? We might surprise ourselves if we hold our own feet to the fire. (If such a thing is physically possible!)
Perhaps we don’t necessarily have to be seized by sloth for it to affect us. Sometimes it’s just “in the air.” We can lose our ability to care, or at least to care in a way that would make a difference. There are plenty of things “in the air” among us today.
As a parenthetical example, I am saddened by the spirit of suspicion of each other. We can see it regarding those who have, what I would suggest, are legitimate concerns regarding the Covid vaccine. I won’t deal with all the ins and outs of the reasoning right now. Is it possible we don’t care enough to really listen to what the other is saying? It is too easy to engage in mind reading and making assumptions about the other. (Of course, if your governor says she has heard from God, and that those who disagree aren’t “the smart ones,” that pretty much renders all other opinions irrelevant.)
I have been speaking of others; maybe it’s time to look at the man in the mirror. Like Bonhoeffer, I too often find myself struggling with acedia. Unlike Paul, I too often make excuses and engage in self-deception to view myself as the foremost of sinners (actually, not even close to that). And like our governor who made—what I think anyway—a grandiose statement, I am certainly not immune to making my own bold proclamations!
How about we try surprising each other—by outdoing one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10)?