Lessons from a Desolate Place pt. 2 by Chris White

St. Antony Monastery in Egypt

     You would hardly know it today, but in the fourth century Egypt was one of the most Christian places on Earth.  This should come as no small surprise since Egypt is so frequently intertwined with the story of Israel and even Jesus Christ Himself.  By the 4^th Century normalization of Christianity under Constantine, the Churches of Egypt were large, powerful, and very influential among the Churches throughout the world.  But many in their ranks were disturbed by the fact that while prestige was at an all time high, it seemed the spiritual temperature was falling to new lows.  Out of this sense of spiritual discomfort came what might be considered a “reverse Exodus” where Christians began leaving their prosperity and comforts in the city to seek the Lord out in the wilderness.  One by one Egyptian Christians began to do this until one Christian writer described the deserts of Egypt as a city of God’s people.  Why these Christians chose the move to the desert will be discussed next time.