... the social consequences of acedia's pervasive presence in our consumer-oriented society, where distractions not only divert us from routines like daily psalter readings and housekeeping chores, in which we can find God's presence, but also keep us from recognizing the spiritual impoverishment that results from such habitual scatteredness. It's Half-Past Twelve Somewhere
Acedia is not merely slothness, laziness but avoidance seeking distraction. The quotes come from Okholm's review of Kathleen Norris' new book Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life, is poignant. and gives a candid outline to the history of the term both across the centuries and her own life.
The danger of a sin like acedia is that it can become "mortal"—that is, it can prevent God's grace from transforming our lives: "When we are convinced that we are beyond the reach of grace, acedia has done its work." That is why Norris correctly places acedia in a category opposed to love, rather than under the heading of mere apathy.My Anglican tradition has kept in mind both sin as omission and commission, i.e. not doing or doing. Yet these thread raises for me key ideas that to prevent the activity of God in your life is to sin under this definition. Not to allow God to work, whether to decide not to or perhaps not feel the need is a sin a denial of relationship. Thus it is opposed to love not merely the opposite to love. Not even the act of loving another but to the reception of love. Thus acedia denies and reject that God can and does love you and me.
But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death. Psalm 141:8
