46. - 456.) Acedia & me – A Marriage, Monks, and a
Writer’s Life by Kathleen Norris – The South Dakota Presbyterian /
Benedictine Oblate examines acedia – from the Greek - a lack of care. She
explores the noonday demon starting from the vivid writings of the 3rd
Century monk,
Evagrius, on the tempter distracting the monk. She travels the centuries to the
present distinguishing between depression and loss of spirituality. She explores the difficulties in her marriage to David, another gifted
poet. His emotional upheavals included an attempted suicide. She forthrightly
discusses his slow dying from cancer. She is the best spiritual writer of my
generation.
She provided a
prayer she found for mourning after her David’s death and for coping with
acedia:
“This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but
make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to
stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to do it quietly. If I am to lie
low, help me to do it patiently. And I am to do nothing let me do it gallantly.
Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.”
****
Acedia & Me was the Best Non-Fiction book in Bill's Best of Non-Fiction in 2008.
I have enjoyed several of Kathleen's books including The Cloister Walk and Dakota - A Spiritual Geography. She is a gifted writer about contemporary Christian life.
I have enjoyed several of Kathleen's books including The Cloister Walk and Dakota - A Spiritual Geography. She is a gifted writer about contemporary Christian life.
Bill - It certainly sounds as though she really takes on the darkness of depression. And it's interesting that she addresses a lot of spirituality and what that can mean. I think we all struggle with dark times and her exploration of that sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. Acedia is one of the subtler forms of depression. The struggle to motivate yourself when you do not feel like doing anything.
ReplyDelete