Lessons from a Desolate Place Pt. 4 by Chris White

Coptic Monk in Egypt

     In the 4^th Century the deserts of Egypt received a reverse exodus of Christians desiring to leave the general population and seek God in solitude and silence.  As I discussed in my previous installment the physical geography of Egypt was such that a sort walk from any city put you in the land of the “red earth” but beyond the simple practicality of being close by, there was also a spiritual viewpoint that had long been attached to the desolation of the desert.  If you’ll remember the chief motivation for this migration was seeking a deeper and greater Christian commitment in a time of spiritual shallowness.  It was the common perception that after Constantine, Christianity had conquered the city.  But now it was time for the committed to launch a new war and attack the stronghold of the Devil.  Why did they think Satan lived in the desert?  Because that is where Jesus was tempted by Satan (Mt. 4) and where Jesus said demons go when they have been cast out of a man (Mt. 12:43).  To the Christian mind of this time, the desert represented a key place to engage in battle for the sake of God’s Kingdom.  But the desert was more than a battleground against the devil, it was also a proving ground of the truth.  That will be our topic next week.

Lessons from a Desolate Place Pt. 1 by Chris White

Constantine

     More than 1600 years ago the Christian Church of the Roman Empire faced a potentially catastrophic situation.  It wasn’t persecution or false teachers, nor was it a plague or the threat of an outside enemy.  The threat Christians faced in this time was spiritual shallowness and softened commitment to the Lord.  After the Roman Emperor Constantine was converted in 312 AD everything changed for the Christians.  Not only were they no longer persecuted, but it seemed as if they were favored citizens with tax monies paying for new Church buildings and the imperial court sponsoring large Church Councils.  This sea change brought a multitude of new people into the Church but it simultaneously lowered the level of commitment that was required to follow Jesus Christ.  In this period that many in the Church considered a great triumph, some were asking “how can I be a true Christian in this new situation?”  Their answer to this question was quite surprising and the subject of our next installment.