He, therefore, is the devout man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life parts of piety, by doing everything in the Name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to His glory.
-A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, chapter 1
William Law begins his renowned treatise A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1728) with an affirmation that true devotion to God is not to be relegated to some sequestered portion of a person’s life, an inner solitude marked by prayer, or discrete times such as at worship, but rather is reflected in all of existence. As I think about this I imagine that this is something that every Christian would want to affirm as well, but, nevertheless, has either found the admonition impossible to achieve or has done so at such a low level of commitment that “devotion” is relegated to a very low common denominator of being basically nice. I know for myself that in the past I would have rationalized Law’s view away as perhaps pious, but not realistic amid the changes and chances of contemporary life. I imagine many would have agreed with me. But now I am coming to a point in my life when the earlier rationalizations, for all their well thought out intentions, have begun to ring hollow. Might it just be that we are called to this vision of life that Law sets forth? Might Jesus have been serious when he tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that we are to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect?
Of course, a few things get in the way of making this affirmation right off the bat. Certainly how we conceive of the end of Christian existence will affect how we live into this vision. There is the view that Christianity is about, in Dallas Willard’s memorable phrase, “sin management;” by receiving forgiveness and managing the deleterious effects of sin we might attain to eternal life. If this is the case, the life of devotion expressed in Law would be a nice addendum to our Christian life, but really unnecessary. Or, if is probably more the case among Episcopalians, the point of our Christian life is to find a sense of a spiritual center in a crazy world, or palliative care for wounded souls, or an avenue for social action, then, again, full devotion of life is unnecessary.
But what if, what if, the real purpose of the Christian faith, the fulfillment of the forgiveness of our sins, the promise of eternal life, and enjoyment of a spiritual life, healing, and community engagement is that we might find our true joy an purpose in reflecting the very being of God as revealed in Jesus Christ? What then? At that point the call that Law issues begins to be compelling.
Of course, we can affirm this vision, and find it daunting and discouraging. I just picked up the guitar after twenty years of neglect. (Sorry ukulele folks. I returned to my roots.) I had never progressed too far when I did strum the chords, but this time I am determined to progress farther. But suppose someone said that that is all well and good, but the real point is to play like Andres Segovia? Were that the case, I might as well throw in the towel now. Certainly the call to become like God is even beyond the call to play like Segovia. Who wouldn’t be disheartened?
Yet the second affirmation that we need to make after that such participation in the divine life and holiness is indeed the vision and goal of the Christian life is that the ability to live into this call is to be received as a gift, rather than as an onerous and impossible burden. It is the gift of Christ who embodied God’s life in our midst. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit who joins us with Christ and transforms us into his likeness.
For tonight I will leave it here. Law calls us to a new way of seeing Christian life, but we often dismiss it or rationalize it away as unrealistic. But we can reclaim the vision. It starts when we seriously inquire about the true ends of Christian life, and continues when we see this not first as a burden as a gift.
Whether or not this is where Law goes in his treatise time will tell. But can we begin to look at our faith from a new and more challenging perspective? Next I will share some of the steps in my change of course toward this vision that Law sets forth. I have a way to go. (A long way it is.) But I am heartened by the progress.