“We are finite beings and therefore cannot be self-sufficient. We are utterly dependent upon others, and the longer we live, the more we feel this fact. He is a fool who thinks he can live by himself. It is impossible. Nevertheless, many people are very attracted to the Romantic idea of escaping into the wilderness, living by themselves, and not depending on anyone else. It is attractive because God alone is self-sufficient, and every rebel wants to be like Him. There is something in the heart of sinful man which dislikes being indebted to anyone. If man is indebted, he is obligated to show his gratitude, and sinful man is not grateful. Instead, he wants everyone to be indebted to him. But God will humble and teach anyone who thinks in this way. He will teach him, one way or another, that he cannot be independent and that God alone is self-sufficient.” From “Friendship: Its Necessity and Obligations,” a chapter out of the book Face to Face, Meditations on Friendship and Hospitality by Steve Wilkins, Canon Press, 2002.
When is the last time you've thought of the hunger for a getaway to a cabin retreat as rebellious, typifying self-sufficiency with respect to wanting to have your space, ample distance from others? Maybe if I saw people more and more as God's good gifts to help me along in my growth in dependency, the foolish longing to escape from others would be properly corralled.
Life is not only coram deo; it is also very much coram populo.
G. Mark Sumpter
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