The punishment of exile no longer exists much in this modern world. I guess that is because as the world has grown smaller we have run out of places to which we can exile people. Indeed in our mobile society, exile hardly seems like a punishment at all. But, at one time it was a great shame and horrible punishment for the crimes one had committed, real, imagined, political or religious. In the ancient world your city and community was everything. People had no identity apart from who they were as a part of that community.  You were nothing when separated from your family, your culture, or your nation by exile. It was the greatest torture and shame short of death. Your whole life was lived in a foreign country, longing to return to the place and people to which you really belonged. If we think of it in this way, we can begin to understand what St. John of the Ladder means when he instructs us that to become like God we must learn to live the life of an exile.

“Exile means that we leave forever everything in our own country that prevents us from reaching the goal of piety.” We are to forsake everything in this place in which we live that keeps us from gaining the kingdom of heaven, which is our true country to which we long to return.

According to St. John, exile means living with “modest manners, wisdom which remains unknown, prudence not recognized as such by most, a hidden life, an invisible intention, unseen meditation, desire for humiliation, longing for hardship, constant determination to love God, abundance of love, renunciation of vainglory, depth of silence.” But, there is an inherent danger in living such a life as well, St. John notes. For if a prophet is not without honor in his own country, then we should be careful lest our exile and rejection be for us a matter of pride.

In living this life, we cannot wait for anyone else to come with us. You cannot wait for your spouse, or friends or family to be ready to live in this way. When the fire to devote yourself to God is kindled within you must go immediately into exile, and on your own, lest in failing to do so the flame that has been kindled in you soon goes out and you are left again in darkness. You cannot do anything to save those who are not yet ready to leave the sinking ship. By waiting for, and trying to convince others to come, you only place your own life in peril. “Not all of us are required to save others.” We do not know, says St. John, whether we are supposed to teach any others, but we are certainly supposed to teach ourselves.

But, the most humbling thought of all, in comparison to which our exile is shown to be insignificant and meaningless, is to “think of Him who for our sake was exiled from Heaven to earth, and we shall find that throughout all eternity it is impossible for us to make return for this.” It was Christ who, though being God in essence and form, did not consider that anything worth coveting or holding on to. He took upon himself the form of a slave and became human. Yet, even that was not enough and he yielded himself up to death on a cross, for our sakes.

It is after all a broken and contrite heart that God will not despise.

Peace be with y’all