Escapism

[GoingByzantine]

I really just want to go find a cave out in the desert, and spend my life there. I really cannot take the current "American" political/social situation any longer, it is all so toxic.

Citizens across this country (including many "Christians") seem to be worshiping politicians as if they were a golden calf idol, one of my own family members is extremely caught up in it. I am trapped in the middle. Now I know why so many monastics desire to leave this world behind, there is no way to attune or focus on prayer in a climate like this. Does anyone else feel the same way, or am I just being an escapist?

 

[~Anastasia~]

I can relate to the DESIRE. And you're not married yet? So it's a possibility for you, lol. Not for me.

I am reminded of a podcast I listened to this morning by Steve Robinson titled The Domestic Monastery. It's pretty short. It's not ALL about what you are saying, and not focused on politics, but it might give you some food for thought.

 

[Orthodoxjay1]

I know how you feel, the more I grow in Orthodoxy, the more I feel alienated by the secular society in the West. Monasticism doesn't seem so bad at all.

 

[Orthodoxjay1]

I can relate to the DESIRE. And you're not married yet? So it's a possibility for you, lol. Not for me.

I am reminded of a podcast I listened to this morning by Steve Robinson titled The Domestic Monastery. It's pretty short. It's not ALL about what you are saying, and not focused on politics, but it might give you some food for thought.

I'm so happy his podcasts are back, I'm glad he got through his struggles.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'm so happy his podcasts are back, I'm glad he got through his struggles.

Ah .... he's still in them, depending on what kind of struggles you mean. Good man though. I've come to really, really appreciate him a lot.

I really wish we were closer geographically. That's one man I wish my husband could sit down and have a beer with.

 

[GoingByzantine]

I can relate to the DESIRE. And you're not married yet? So it's a possibility for you, lol. Not for me.

I am reminded of a podcast I listened to this morning by Steve Robinson titled The Domestic Monastery. It's pretty short. It's not ALL about what you are saying, and not focused on politics, but it might give you some food for thought.

I am definitely going to listen to this before bedtime.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I am definitely going to listen to this before bedtime.

I hope it helps - and at least gives you some things to think about.

It makes me have more appreciation for my own struggles. But yes, if I lived in a monastery, some things would be much EASIER, lol.

 

[GoingByzantine]

I hope it helps - and at least gives you some things to think about.

It makes me have more appreciation for my own struggles. But yes, if I lived in a monastery, some things would be much EASIER, lol.

I agree with that, I think life would be simpler and easier in a very peaceful way . Of course that is just my perception, I have heard some monastics say that they are in a constant battle with the evil one when they attempt to live a monastic life.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I won't pull any punches, I'm a Trump supporter, but I am one because I see him as the least among evils, not as a savior.

At coffee hour after liturgy today, people were all oohing and ahhhing about what a family man Trump is, how much he loves marriage, and what a moral paragon he is. Instant cult of personality worship. I said, "Donald loves marriage do much that he did it three times!" A friend of mine says, "only three. It's not a lot of you think about it." I face-palmed. I told them all the negatives I see in Trump, and that much of the things he says are political theater and vague. That being said, Hillary is deranged and utterly dangerous, so Trump it is.

But I do find it odd how people instantly become apologists for politicians after they've committed to him/her...

I don't think politics drives me crazy enough to want monasticism. It's SOCIETY'S values that DO!!! Sodomy, sex changes or cross-dressing, she-males getting their bathroom choices, everyone covered head to toe in tats with frisbees in their ears or pierced tongues, abortion, same-sex "marriage," massive naïveté with regard to gun control, factory farming that treats animals like a concentration camp, the public being moronic and unable to critically think, people being more inarticulate than ever, people laughing at a lady in a Chewbacca mask on Facebook, Dodgers fandom, and various and sundry other things get under my skin enough to make me want monasticism!

 

[~Anastasia~]

I agree with that, I think life would be simpler and easier in a very peaceful way . Of course that is just my perception, I have heard some monastics say that they are in a constant battle with the evil one when they attempt to live a monastic life.

I don't think I posted here? I spent a little time at the monastery only once - and I IMMEDIATELY began having trouble praying. It WAS a battle. Which surprised me - I had expected it to be all spiritual and easy and all that.

It was easy to make TIME to pray. It wasn't easy to do it.

Just my experience. I suppose others might say something different. But my SF and some monks I asked assured me that this was a pretty typical thing to happen. They said monasteries were often the "front lines" of spiritual battle, so not to be surprised.

Oh .... and I had logismoi that blew my mind. Things that NEVER tempted me - it's like I was getting hit with someone else's temptations, LOL! Still didn't tempt me, but I didn't appreciate those things in my head! I had forgotten all of that, LOL.

I still look forward to going back. But yeah - not everything is easy there. It's quiet though, and beautiful, and peaceful outwardly, and simple, and there is Church twice a day (at that one). But not everything is easy, it was true ...

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I've always heard spiritual struggles are super intense in monasteries, and despite there being no inappropriate content, drugs, smokes, booze, noise, gambling, or nonsense, Satan attacks like crazy and puts in overtime....

I don't think I posted here? I spent a little time at the monastery only once - and I IMMEDIATELY began having trouble praying. It WAS a battle. Which surprised me - I had expected it to be all spiritual and easy and all that.

It was easy to make TIME to pray. It wasn't easy to do it.

Just my experience. I suppose others might say something different. But my SF and some monks I asked assured me that this was a pretty typical thing to happen. They said monasteries were often the "front lines" of spiritual battle, so not to be surprised.

Oh .... and I had logismoi that blew my mind. Things that NEVER tempted me - it's like I was getting hit with someone else's temptations, LOL! Still didn't tempt me, but I didn't appreciate those things in my head! I had forgotten all of that, LOL.

I still look forward to going back. But yeah - not everything is easy there. It's quiet though, and beautiful, and peaceful outwardly, and simple, and there is Church twice a day (at that one). But not everything is easy, it was true ...

 

[GoingByzantine]

I don't think politics drives me crazy enough to want monasticism. It's SOCIETY'S values that DO!!! Sodomy, sex changes or cross-dressing, she-males getting their bathroom choices, everyone covered head to toe in tats with frisbees in their ears or pierced tongues, abortion, same-sex "marriage," massive naïveté with regard to gun control, factory farming that treats animals like a concentration camp, the public being moronic and unable to critically think, people being more inarticulate than ever, people laughing at a lady in a Chewbacca mask on Facebook, Dodgers fandom, and various and sundry other things get under my skin enough to make me want monasticism!

Your comments remind me of what Pat. Kirill said recently:

 

[Orthodoxjay1]

I won't pull any punches, I'm a Trump supporter, but I am one because I see him as the least among evils, not as a savior.

At coffee hour after liturgy today, people were all oohing and ahhhing about what a family man Trump is, how much he loves marriage, and what a moral paragon he is. Instant cult of personality worship. I said, "Donald loves marriage do much that he did it three times!" A friend of mine says, "only three. It's not a lot of you think about it." I face-palmed. I told them all the negatives I see in Trump, and that much of the things he says are political theater and vague. That being said, Hillary is deranged and utterly dangerous, so Trump it is.

But I do find it odd how people instantly become apologists for politicians after they've committed to him/her...

I don't think politics drives me crazy enough to want monasticism. It's SOCIETY'S values that DO!!! Sodomy, sex changes or cross-dressing, she-males getting their bathroom choices, everyone covered head to toe in tats with frisbees in their ears or pierced tongues, abortion, same-sex "marriage," massive naïveté with regard to gun control, factory farming that treats animals like a concentration camp, the public being moronic and unable to critically think, people being more inarticulate than ever, people laughing at a lady in a Chewbacca mask on Facebook, Dodgers fandom, and various and sundry other things get under my skin enough to make me want monasticism!

I agree it more society, and social issues rather than politics that drive me towards monasticism.

On the issue of Trump, Idk I mean he says good things on localized education, gun rights, protectionism & tariffs, the wall on the border,the threat of islam, etc. Yet I'm concerned will he keep his promises, and also while we are all sinners, a thrice divorced liar who a-ok with transgender bathrooms, and who couldn't tell the difference between a collection plate, and communion plate bothers me. This election really showed me we are a post-Christian nation. With Hillary we can expect a feminist nanny state, with Sanders we are on the road to serfdom, and Trump who knows?

Sorry you are awesome, and I suspect our politics are pretty close, but instead of voting for anyone, I'm seriously looking at something like the Benedict option, this is a election Christians will lose in the end.

 

[GoingByzantine]

I don't think I posted here? I spent a little time at the monastery only once - and I IMMEDIATELY began having trouble praying. It WAS a battle. Which surprised me - I had expected it to be all spiritual and easy and all that.

It was easy to make TIME to pray. It wasn't easy to do it.

Just my experience. I suppose others might say something different. But my SF and some monks I asked assured me that this was a pretty typical thing to happen. They said monasteries were often the "front lines" of spiritual battle, so not to be surprised.

Oh .... and I had logismoi that blew my mind. Things that NEVER tempted me - it's like I was getting hit with someone else's temptations, LOL! Still didn't tempt me, but I didn't appreciate those things in my head! I had forgotten all of that, LOL.

I still look forward to going back. But yeah - not everything is easy there. It's quiet though, and beautiful, and peaceful outwardly, and simple, and there is Church twice a day (at that one). But not everything is easy, it was true ...

I have never spent any time at a monastery, do you mind if I ask where you went? Was it in the United States?

 

[ArmyMatt]

Does anyone else feel the same way, or am I just being an escapist?

it depends on the "why." if you want to leave to pray for the world, that is a good thing. if you just want to flee for the sake of fleeing, that is bad. always remember that Lot was saved in the city, and he sinned in the desert.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I have never spent any time at a monastery, do you mind if I ask where you went? Was it in the United States?

It was in Florida - the Holy Monastery of the Annunciation of the Theotokos. It is a woman's monastery, of course, but there is a men's monastery close by. The Panagia Vlahernon Greek Orthodox Monastery. They are both under Elder Ephraim.

I had visited one in Texas as well, but it was only a brief visit.

 

[buzuxi02]

natural progression of democracy. This entire political system is built on pitting one subgroup against the other. The more heated it is the higher the voter turn out and is then hailed as a 'victory' for democracy that so many partook of their right to vote.
Its not as bad as in other countries. In Greece there are riots and hooliganism at political rallies, the jailing of smaller opposition parties, and many times they will suspend the busy metro line at Syntagma Square to prevent more protesters from showing up which would lead to mayhem and chaos. In reality they suspend the train lines because all the opposition groups use that metro line to get to the protest in front of the capital and the train and the station will become a tinder box of dangerous mobs ready to toss molotov cocktails at each other. So its really not that bad here.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'm not in favor of any of the major candidates. I don't know what I'm going to do as far as voting. I MIGHT vote for Trump just so that I can toss my drop of water in the ocean not in support of Hilary, but I'm not sure I can stomach doing that. I'm certainly not rabidly in favor of him. I've met those who are though. I just shake my head and wonder if they are really considering everything. Maybe it's some kind of mental gymnastics they must perform in order to justify to themselves a vote against Hilary. Who knows. I try NOT to think about any of it. It would be laughable that we have such poor choices available, if it weren't real life. I think politically, the US is an embarrassment on the world stage. Of course, we are far from the only country with problems.

There are plenty of things in society that make me wish I could "escape" though. I work at too many different schools, and being exposed to teens / young adults in some places .... the ones who have this culture of seeming to pretty much worship rappers who have some kind of "gangsta" thing going on - seeing them VERY immodestly dressed, twerking, disrespecting themselves and everyone else in very sad ways, listening to those horrible lyrics (and even if you get the phones off in some places they just sing them), having to be exposed to that - well, yes, it makes me LONG for the kind of atmosphere of a monastery instead. Or even my isolated farm. Or my cabin in the mountains. I had my "escape" before. I try to build "escape" into my home.

I'd much rather have icons around, flowers blooming, calmness and quiet, liturgical music playing in my mind, pleasant scents, quiet, orderliness. If I can't be in the monastery, I can do my best to have that as much as possible in my home, my car, around me as much as I can. But it's not in society at large, or at work.

And right now, my home is pretty far from that, LOL. It's been a busy couple of months, since about Holy Week. I have a lot of work to do - planning to get to that asap.

 

[buzuxi02]

I would like Trump since he is the only candidate (out of all of them from the beginning) to make it clear he wants peace with Russia. As a first generation immigrant I support curbing all immigration, so building walls and whatever is fine with me. I just hope the wall doubles as a shopping center, entertainment complex fortress. No im not kidding you look at the tourist attractions that walls are, visit the old town on the island of Rhodes. A medievel castle fortress which has a village and business district within its walls, beautiful. My father came here illegally, my mom arrived legally but like i tell them (and to the rest of my relatives) it would have been better off that you never came here. I believe the mass migration both legal and illegal is the biggest scourge of the 20 and 21st centuries.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I would like Trump since he is the only candidate (out of all of them from the beginning) to make it clear he wants peace with Russia. As a first generation immigrant I support curbing all immigration, so building walls and whatever is fine with me. I just hope the wall doubles as a shopping center, entertainment complex fortress. No im not kidding you look at the tourist attractions that walls are, visit the old town on the island of Rhodes. A medievel castle fortress which has a village and business district within its walls, beautiful. My father came here illegally, my mom arrived legally but like i tell them (and to the rest of my relatives) it would have been better off that you never came here. I believe the mass migration both legal and illegal is the biggest scourge of the 20 and 21st centuries.

Peace with Russia is high on my list. My only concern about Russia is that she has been unstable politically over the past couple of centuries, so what she is like now might not be what she is like 20 years from now. But I hope things stay on the track they are on.

I am in favor of curbing immigration too, but I guess I'm a little surprised you would be as a first generation? Would I be prying if I asked what countries your parents came from? My husband is an immigrant as well - legally - the process took them some years and a stop in another country along the way. They were actually blessed that it went as easily as it did for them. I'm not against immigrants, btw - I just think it ought to be above-board. But there would be a lot of reform needed.