It is impossible for a person who sticks to their own judgment and ideas to submit themselves and promote the good of their neighbor.

One of the early teachings of Dorotheos that provided a golden thread throughout his theology was a radical, total, and pervasive humility. For this humble monk the life of faith was a simple clear choice: trust God or trust self. And how does God most commonly communicate with us? Through our closest associates and friends.

How does this translate to a society and culture steeped in individuality, entitlement thinking (and acting), personal achievement, inflated ego, and looking out for #1? Basically, it doesn’t. Yet, the heart of the Hebrew and Christian faith traditions is putting our trust in God. In a country such as the United States where a significant population prides itself on its “Christian” faith, this poses an irreconcilable dilemma.

To Dorotheos’s way of thinking, God’s desire is to bless all of creation, especially the crowning glory – us. Dorotheos believed that God’s will was the wellbeing, the good, and the lifegiving Spirit available to all people. And this energizing and motivating Spirit manifest itself in the way we care for one another, especially the most vulnerable and fragile among us. To make oneself the center of your spiritual, emotional, physical, and psychological universe means that there is little room for God and neighbor. However, if God is at the center, God creates infinite space for the common good. Dorotheos understood that in an authentic Christian faith “all boats rise with the tide,” and everyone has what they need to both survive and thrive. To his credit, the vast majority of Hebrew, Jewish, and Christian writings support such a worldview and theology.

We live in a belief system of our own creation that “if I don’t take care of myself, no one will.” Among the members of one of the most privileged, blessed, and comfortable nations on earth, we continue to communicate a collective victim mentality. Stranger Danger! Xenophobia! Rabid Refugees! Insidious Immigrants! Undeserving Poor! Toddler Terrorism! Greedy Undesirables! Reverse Racism! Feminazis! Everyone around us is a problem and a threat. Dorotheos must be crazy if he thinks anyone is better equipped to decide what is right for me except for me! After all, why would I believe anything that wasn’t 100% good, right, true, wonderful, and amazing? I mean, come on. Could God do that?

Advent is symbolically, historically, and essentially a time of vulnerability, uncertainty, anxiety, and hope. It reminds us of the times in our lives when we feel totally left to our own devices, without guidance, without a safety net. Dorotheos reminds us that we never need face the challenges of life alone, and that there is a God-given, Christ-promised wisdom “where two or three are gathered.” What helps you question and reassess your own judgment and ideas? Where do you turn for other perspectives and worldviews about your understanding of the world? How well do you listen for the voice of God in the words of your friends and neighbors? In what concrete ways do you “love your neighbor as yourself?”