| According to Evagrius, [acedia] is the spirit which causes the monk to begin, in the middle of the day, to perceive the day as dragging along interminably. He looks at the sun repeatedly, wondering how long until dinner. He paces about, looks around for someone to talk to and something interesting to distract himself from himself. God help anyone, says Evagrius, who offends or annoys the sufferer at this time. Already sensitive, the monk will see this as just another example of how rotten life is and how little good is in the people of this place. There are fantasies about how much better it could be somewhere else and why the sufferer is justified in complaining. The next thing is memories of all the times and places where life was better, or might have been better or could potentially be better. This is not a lethargic or a passive sin, but is very active. It is not lazy but quite animated, even agitated. |
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Filed under: Christian Orthodoxy, Christianity, Desert Fathers, Religion
