Detachment

During my time apart in the summer I read several Jesus-following authors who all pointed toward the same spiritual territory. They all said the same thing, essentially. My paraphrase is as follows: To know the freedom God seeks for us we must reach the point at which the praise of others does not elate us, nor does the criticism of others send us into despair. Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, and Brennan Manning all point to a kind of healthy attachment to God alone and a healthy detachment from the people and circumstances that surround us. This does not mean disengaging. Jesus calls us to love others precisely in the sacrificing way he loves us. And we must find ways to challenge circumstances that inhibit the Kingdom justice for which God longs. However, we must not let people and circumstances define us or determine our value and purpose. That is God's territory alone. To give that kind of power to anyone or anything other than God is...well...a form of idolatry!

The point at which the praise of others does not elate us, nor does the criticism of others send us into despair... Okay, that's great in a book or in theory. Can anyone really come to that point, or can God bring us to that point? Is it possible to trust so fully in the presence, power, forgiveness, and love of God that no other evaluation matters? Can anyone become so lost in aligning with God's heart and loving those whom God loves that no high praise or stinging critique really matters? Is this idealistic or realistic, or is it something else?

What do you think? I'll see you around the next bend in the river.