Obedience as a Virtuous Practice
What practices lead us to cultivate holiness?
Do we want to be like Captain Marvel or St. Thérèse of Lisieux? Like Achilles or Mason Tarwater? Is it an either-or? (Consider my 2020 “Flannery O’Connor versus the Marvel Universe” in Church Life Journal.) We need heroes and models to follow, those who embody a way of seeing and being in the world that stands apart as worthy of imitation. For Christians, we try to imagine what it means to imitate Jesus Christ. But, we suffer thousands of years of history and geography and culture between us and our model. Thus, the tradition of the saints give us examples of those who reflected Jesus’s image in their own time and place. Then, the great literary tradition expands this company even further.
In 2018 I reviewed Karen Swallow Prior’s On Reading Well and loved that she sought lessons of virtues in literary heroes: Anne Elliot, Fr. Rodrigues, the father from The Road. Her book challenged me to consider what virtues translate easily from Christianity to humanism versus which traits or practices in the Christian tradition call for a holy imagination. Pagans agree on kindness. But how do they feel about martyrdom?
When I discussed my upcoming book The Scandal of Holiness on Conversations with Consequences, host Grazie Christie inquired whether I had considered the spiritual practice of obedience as one of those uncomfortable, holy virtues. Although I treated obedience marginally in my chapter on Laurus, I wish I had explored the practice more fully.
In a presentation on Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins at the Walker Percy Weekend years ago, someone approached me afterwards to share the Latin root of obedience: ob-audire, to hear or listen. In other words, all the times that the Scriptures say, “Hear O Israel” might be understood as “Obey O Israel.” Or, when Jesus laments that his disciples have ears but do not hear, he means, they only heard what he said but did not obey the instruction.
I’m reading Rumer Godden’s In This House of Brede right now (thanks, Haley Stewart, for the recommendation), and the novel is all about the practice of obedience. In one moving scene, Dame Catherine is elected Abbess of Brede; she melts in tears on the lap of the woman who cleans her room. Witnessing this private moment, another sister, Philippa realizes the meaning of obedience. You must acquiesce to God’s call, whether that be a lowly position or one of power.
Before I give talks, I often pray Flannery O’Connor’s prayer, “Dear God, please give me some place, no matter how small, but let me know it and keep it. If I am to wash the second step everyday, let me know it and let me wash it and let my heart overflow with love washing it.” Such freedom and peace in the obedience of adhering to our place. But I have too often experience the frenzy and anxiety of not knowing where I belong, what I am meant to be doing, what are my limits. I should imagine these worries stem from unrealized disobedience. A stepping out of God’s will.
We fear obedience to human authorities because power is misused regularly. Last week, I read Colin Duriez’s biography of Dorothy Sayers, and I kept meditating on how different her life would have been without the unnecessary restrictions on women and their roles in society. This week, I’m reading David W. Blight’s biography of Frederick Douglass. What a misuse of power against such a noble person!
Yet, God does call us to obedience through other people. We must discern “in every case,” as St. Josemaría Escrivá writes, “whether it is love for the truth which moves us or selfishness and attachment to our own judgment. When our ideas separate us from other people, when they weaken our communion, our unity with our brothers, it is a sure sign that we are not doing what God wants.” Despite the imperfect leaders throughout time and place, the practice of obedience has not ceased being a high calling. Not my will, but thine…
What I’ve Been Up To
Follow this dialogue between myself and Prof. Ryan Murphy from SMU: “Are the Great Books Truly Great?”
“Reading to See the Fullness of Things,” Evangelization and Culture
“Universities Have Forgotten Their Purpose,” James Martin Center
My lecture at the CLT Summit made it into the Top 10 Podcasts of Anchored
The first review of The Scandal of Holiness came out— Thanks to Gina Dalfonzo!
My holiday recommendations featured at Law & Liberty (No, I have not finished reading Thirst)
Conversation with Scott Daniels on New Creation podcast
Guest on John & Kathy Show, Dec 20
Upcoming Talks
January 28-29 Well Read Mom Conference, 10th Anniversary
