Different Paths, Same Destination: Abba Arsenius 38

Yesterday in this Lenten series on the wisdom of the Desert Fathers, we looked at a Desert version of the old proverb, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Its theme of receiving hospitality well also connects the question of difference in practice. In the life of faith as much as in any other area of life, we humans aren’t great at accepting difference. But there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and it’s rarely (if ever) a matter of right and wrong, but simply one of picking a path and not judging others who choose differently. And that’s the theme of today’s Saying.

The story involves a monk who comes to Scetis, one of the ancient centres of Egyptian monasticism, and two of the elders he visits there, Abba Arsenius and Abba Moses:

It was said that a brother came to see Abba Arsenius at Scetis. When he came to the church, he asked the clergy if he could visit Abba Arsenius. They said to him, ‘Brother, have a little refreshment and then go and see him.’ ‘I shall not eat anything,’ he replied, ‘until I have met him.’ So, because Arsenius’ cell was far away, they sent a brother with him. Having knocked on the door, they entered, greeted the elder and sat down without saying anything. Then the brother from the church said, ‘I will leave you. Pray for me.’ Now the visiting brother, not feeling at ease with the elder, said, ‘I will come with you,’ and they went away together. Then the visitor asked, ‘Take me to Abba Moses, who used to be a robber.’ When they arrived the Abba welcomed them joyfully and then took leave of them with delight. The brother who had brought the other one said to his companion, ‘See, I have taken you to the foreigner and to the Egyptian, which of the two do you prefer?’ ‘As for me,’ he replied, ‘I prefer the Egyptian.’ Now a Father who heard this prayed to God saying, ‘Lord, explain this matter to me: for Thy name’s sake the one flees from men, and the other, for Thy name’s sake, receives them with open arms.’ Then two large boats were shown to him on a river and he saw Abba Arsenius and the Spirit of God sailing in the one, in perfect peace; and in the other was Abba Moses with the angels of God, and they were all eating honey cakes. (Abba Arsenius 38)

Basically, the visitor is ignored by the monk he’d intended to visit, but greeted warmly by another. Wondering at this, an onlooker prays for understanding of the two men, and received a vision showing that while the two elders were in different boats — different practices, goals, and attitudes towards them — each was blessed. This is even more interesting because Abba Arsenius’s rigidity led him to a shocking lack of hospitality, which is, of course, a sin and not just a matter of practice.

I don’t think this necessarily contradicts the teaching on hospitality we saw in the story from Abba Cassian the other day. The point of the story is not that both paths are equally valid, but simply that it’s not ours to judge another’s path. God alone knows what’s in hearts and minds and God alone can judge someone’s life of faith. This is why “Keep your eyes on your own plate” is such a helpful proverb for all of us to take to heart. A friend or neighbour may not live out their faith in the same way we do — in an environment as diverse and varied as mine, it would be shocking if they did! — but it’s not my place to have an opinion about it one way or the other. This isn’t easy, and it’s why I’ve always appreciated that the monastic tradition has made a point of celebrating both monks who went all in on their disciplines and those who focused on welcoming and being gracious to others. Even if in most of the stories, like this one, the latter path seems to be the ‘preferred’ one, they are likewise unwilling to cast judgment on the more austere path. God can be present in both paths.

There was a saying during the pandemic, “We may not all be in the same boat, but we’re all in the same storm.” And I think that works well for the lesson here too. As we muddle our way through ‘spirituality’ or the life of faith, we may be in different boats, but we’re travelling down the same river, and when we see others, it’s not our job to judge their boat, but to greet them and pray for their safe arrival, as we trust that they’ll pray for ours.