Note that quotes from the book are in blue font.
PART THREE – Solitude
This section has several headings, since this is the ‘meat’ of the teaching, we will look carefully at each subsection.
When he (Anthony) emerged from his solitude (and torments), people recognized in him the qualities of an authentic ‘healthy’ man, whole in mind, body and soul. They flocked to him for healing, comfort and direction. …solitude is the furnace in which this transformation (into the self of Jesus Christ) takes place…
In 2 Corinthians 11, we are warned that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light, and his ministers as servants of righteousness. We also know from Matthew 7:21-22 that there will be people who will provide ‘healing, comfort and direction’ who will NOT be from the Lord. We need to be very careful to examine the claims and lifestyles of people who claim to be from the Lord, against Scripture. If we truly accept that ALL Scripture is useful for teaching and training in righteousness, then there is a trustworthy sufficiency there that we can look to for our training and instruction. What we find outside of Scripture that is really truth will not add to the truth of the Bible nor contradict it in any way.
If it is true that our spirit is transformed through physically separating ourselves from everyone and everything around us and living as a hermit in an ascetic lifestyle, or of gaining spiritual growth through entering into mystical ‘silence’, then why are these things nowhere taught in the Bible as THE way for believers to grow more and more like Christ? If there is truly a spiritual and Godly richness there, then we should have been abundantly advised of it in the Book which is supposedly sufficient for our training. And it is conspicuous in its absence.
Ephesians 4 counsels us to live in a manner worthy of our calling, to live with others in tolerance, humility, patience and gentleness; to work and learn together to become equipped for work of service to God; to grow up in the knowledge of the Son of God (and all Scripture teaches us of this) to maturity in faith, not swayed by error but speaking the truth in love, growing up in Christ together with the others in the body of believers. We are not to walk in ignorance of the Word of God, but are to become transformed by the renewing of our minds…of our thoughts and attitudes. This is meant to be reflected in our actions towards others.
Solitude - The Compulsive Minister:
With quotes from Thomas Merton (a modern day mystic), Henri Nouwen claims our society is ‘a dangerous network of domination and manipulation in which we can easily get entangled and lose our soul. The basic question is whether we ministers of Jesus Christ have not already been so deeply molded by the seductive powers of our dark world that we have become blind to our own and other people’s fatal state and have lost the power and motivation to swim for our lives.’
He goes on to describe someone a christian who lives a secular life; he accurately describes some of the ‘fruit’ of such a life as anger and greed, and advises ‘solitude’ as the antidote. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus calls those who claim to be believers but were not, ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ and warns that we shall know them by their fruit. Whether someone really trusts God or not is reflected in their lifestyle and attitudes. In reality, such a person will never be truly transformed by works of their own (such as living an ascetic lifestyle); but must repent of their greed and anger and turn to faith and trust in God, accepting the righteousness that comes from faith in the sacrifice of Christ for his life. That is the ONLY way of salvation. ‘The Way of the Heart’ does not deal with repentance and submission of this kind.
It is not so strange that Anthony and his fellow monks considered it a spiritual disaster to accept passively the tenets and values of their society. They had come to appreciate how hard it is not only for the individual Christian but also for the church itself to escape the seductive compulsions of the world. What was their response? They escaped from the sinking ship and swam for their lives. And the place of salvation is called desert, the place of solitude.
The only place of salvation for a believer is in Christ. No desert experience can provide salvation. It is true that a believer cannot passively accept the tenets and values of society. In fact, a born again and Spirit filled believer will not accept the tenets and values of God-less society, they will be abhorrent to him. James 4 says ‘don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.’
But nowhere are we told to flee culture, we are instead told to live lives set-apart to God where ever we are, as a witness to His love, and as salt and light in the world. James 4 tells us that God gives grace to the humble; we are told to ‘resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ and ‘come near to God and He will come near to you’ and in 1 Peter 5 we are told to resist Satan and stand firm in the faith. 1 Timothy 2 tells us to live peaceful and quiet lives in godliness and holiness, praying for those in authourity over us. Romans 12 counsels us to live at peace with all men, as far as it depends on us. This assumes we live in culture, though not as part of it.
Solitude - The Furnace of Transformation:
Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self. Jesus himself entered into this furnace. There he was tempted with the three compulsions of the world: to be relevant (‘turn stones into loaves’), to be spectacular (‘throw yourself down’), and to be powerful (‘I will give you all these kingdoms’). There he affirmed God as the only source of his identity…Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter – the struggle against the compulsions of the false self, and the encounter with the loving God who offers himself as the substance of the new self.
Comparing these claims against Scripture, we can immediately see that Jesus was not at any time a victim of his society, nor ever entangled in the ‘illusions’ or ‘compulsions’ of the ‘false self’, as is implied here. The Bible says that Satan tempted him, and he responded not as Adam and Eve did, by turning away from God’s instruction, but by responding the way he did any time he was presented with untruth, with ‘It is written’ quoting the words of God. Jesus was the Son of God before Satan tempted him, he did not need to go through that time in order to have ‘an encounter with the loving God who offers himself as the substance of the new self’, in order to become transformed into something else.
Nowhere in Scripture is a believer described as a victim of society. In fact, we are told by Christ in Matthew 16 that even the gates of Hades will not overcome His congregation of called out ones. In Luke 19, Jesus gave his disciples authourity to overcome all the power of the enemy. In Romans 12, we are told to overcome evil with good. In 2 Peter 2, we are told that a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him; and that we escape the corruption of the world through knowing Christ. We are told to persevere in patience and to grow in the knowledge and grace of Christ.
This is done through obedience IN life, not in removing ourselves from everyone and entering mystical and unbiblical silences. Scripture does not teach us that we need to go through temptations and self-induced hardships in order to have ‘an encounter’ with God who ‘offers himself’ to us. We receive the Holy Spirit when we repent and turn to God in faith, receiving righteousness through the atonement of Christ, an atonement we could never make ourselves. Henri Nouwen’s teaching places man in the center, being served by God. The Bible teaches the complete opposite.
In this chapter, the authour begins to lay out his definition of the kind of solitude that he claims leads to transformation: He claims that “we are dealing here with that holy place where ministry and spirituality embrace each other. It is the place called solitude.” That statement, while poetic, does not make practical sense. Ministry is to others. Spirituality is a term used to describe a person’s beliefs about life and purpose, a preoccupation with what concerns the inner nature. It does not need to have anything to do with God, and often doesn’t. How you look at your purpose in life (spirituality) relates to how you treat others (ministry) only in actually being with them, and not in solitude.
He states that the solitude he is teaching is NOT that which comes from being alone, of thinking about things, of a specific private place to ‘recharge our batteries’ or ‘gather new strength’. He is very clear that the solitude he teaches is a mystical one. 'Rather, it is the place of conversion, the place where the old self dies and the new self is born, the place where the emergence of the new man and the new woman occurs.'
In 2 Corinthians 5: 17 we read that …”if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” You do not become a new creation through your own works (spiritual disciplines). You ARE a new creation if you are in Christ! He goes on at length in this chapter describing, often in mystical and poetic language, his personal experience of finding ‘salvation’ in his solitude, of trying ‘to run from the dark abyss of my nothingness and restore my false self in all its vainglory’. As we come to realize that it is not we who live, but Christ who lives in us, that he is our true self… This is a very poetic statement that at first glance, can appear true. But it isn’t.
The verse he misquotes and takes out of context should read: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20) If, through faith, the Holy Spirit makes a home with me, that does not make my true self the Holy Spirit. That is a false teaching. In becoming a new creation, I am given a ‘new heart’ (Ezekiel 11:19 and 18:31) that delights in serving God. But I am still ‘me’. I do not become the Holy Spirit.
Rather it is my self-will that delights in serving my own desires that I put to death. The will of the new ‘me’ delights in submitting to and serving God, and I choose to feed and nurture that will, enabled by the Holy Spirit. In Luke 9:23 Jesus tells us that if we want to follow him, we must do as he does and let nothing come between us and the will of the Father…we are told to deny our self (our will) and daily take up our cross and follow him. That doesn’t necessarily mean, as is sometimes thought, that we put up with whatever ‘burden’ of life we happen to have, it means that we are willing to put the ‘old man’, the self-will, to death, and do, out of our new heart, the will of God.
We do not acquire or deserve this new creation by our will or our effort. It is given by God, exclusively at His will. When I seek to gain my own salvation, I will lose it, Jesus warns in Luke 9. When I am willing to lay down my will (my ‘life’) I will find it.
Solitude is not simply a means to an end. Solitude is its own end…Solitude is the place of our salvation. Hence, it is the place where we want to lead all who are seeking the light in this dark world.
It is good and necessary for every believer to grow in the knowledge of Christ through studying the Word, thinking about its meaning, repenting of our own will and acts, and actively applying to life, what is learned. It is true that we can benefit from periods of being alone. But this is not the solitude he is teaching. The occult mysticism being taught here denies the saving power of the gospel.
Romans 10 tells us that faith (salvation) comes from hearing the message (the gospel of Christ) and accepting it! That is grace, for there is nothing we can do to earn that salvation, to earn that new heart that delights in God’s will.
We are a new creation in Christ!
Our transformation comes from not retreating into mystical solitude, battling ‘demons’ and gaining ‘salvation’ through overcoming them…our transformation comes from allowing our new heart to influence our attitude, through our obedience to Christ, in putting our self will to death. This is accomplished, not in mystical or physical solitude, but in LIFE!
In 2 Corinthians 5:11, we read: “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.” How do we persuade men? Not by retreating to solitary mysticism. Here is what we are taught:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. " (Jesus speaking about the salvation he offers…John 14:1)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
It goes without saying here that it is not possible to ‘be alert’ in the altered state of consciousness taught in contemplative prayer.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) (Some translations say: study to show yourself approved…)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
Solitude - A Compassionate Ministry
Anthony’s life after he had emerged from his period of total isolation…People from many walks of life came to him and asked for advice…(he had now) an inner disposition that could no longer be disturbed by those who needed his guidance. Somehow his solitude had become an infinite space into which anyone could be invited.
Compassion is not something we strive to learn, or to acquire. That is humanism. Godly compassion is gained only when we understand what we have been forgiven of, and that awareness is evidenced by how we treat others. Jesus spoke of this in the parable of the two servants in Matthew 18.
When we encounter difficulties and opposition in our lives, and we persevere in trusting in God through them, we receive hope (Romans 5), because ‘the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.’
The phrase ‘an infinite space into which anyone could be invited’ sounds very poetic, but what does it mean? It is mystical nonsense. Nobody comes to salvation by anyone other than Christ. Nobody comes to salvation through an ‘infinite space’ in anyone else. Only believers have received and accepted the invitation to life in Christ.
Compassion is the fruit of solitude and the basis of all ministry.
The Bible tells us we have troubles so we can learn to trust God in them (James 1). Having learned that, we are able to comfort people who are also going through those same troubles (2 Corinthians 1). It has nothing to do with solitude or devising hardships of our own in order to martyr ourselves to them, and everything to do with trusting God, who is our refuge and our strength (Psalm 46, 59, 91) and walking in this faith, through the trials of life. Compassion is NOT the ‘fruit of solitude’.
We are commanded to show compassion to each other (Eph 4, Col 3, 1 Peter 3), recognizing the compassion of God for us. We do not need mystical experiences to understand or obey this command. We just need to do it with humility. The fact that we struggle to do this shows us our need of God’s righteousness, it points us to the need for salvation through Christ.
Remember in Matthew 7, the ones who stood before Christ proclaiming their own compassionate actions? He did not know them! So it is quite possible to exhibit a false compassion that mimics the real thing, even deceiving ourselves. We can be led astray through not rightly understanding this.
In solitude our heart of stone can be turned into a heart of flesh… This is an unbiblical statement. It is God our Father who gives us the heart of flesh, it is not an event brought about through the human effort of solitude. That is a man-centered teaching, and denies the grace of God. Romans 9:15-16 tells us that it is entirely at God’s will that we receive this heart, saying ‘It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.’
There is an emphasis in this chapter on social justice. That is, compassionate acts for the physical and emotional person, rather than spiritual compassion given through sharing the gospel – coupled quite naturally with care for the physical.
The emphasis in this false teaching is on humanity and its temporary suffering. Compare the Bible, which teaches us that we are to care for the spiritual person and the physical needs (James 2). Note also, in Matthew 25:31-46 a careful reading shows that the ones who knew Christ and ministered to the spiritual man accomplished what the ministers to the physical did not.
Social justice is not the Biblical gospel.
This section is concluded with a quote by modern day mystic Thomas Merton: They (the monks) knew that they were helpless to do any good for others as long as they floundered about in the wreckage. But once they got a foothold on solid ground, things were different. Then they had not only the power but even the obligation to pull the whole world to safety after them.
Humanity cannot ‘pull the whole world to safety’ through doing good for others. Bible prophecy says they will try, but true peace only comes to the world through Christ’s return.
The conclusion to this section on ‘solitude’ claims that ‘It is very important for us to realize that Anthony concluded his life in total absorption in God’. It continues to link this unbiblical idea of separating ourselves from life and, through human works, attempting to join ourselves to ‘God’ through mystical contemplation.
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