To Hunger & Thirst
“It is a monstrous thing to see the same heart at once so sensitive to minor things and so strangely insensitive to the greatest.” —Blaise Pascal
Land meets sea in Cape Town, South Africa
I recently came across a book about the classical virtues and their opposites, the seven deadly sins. It used to be that all people were well-versed in the matter. Today, it would be rare to find a passerby who could even name them (I certainly fall in this category).
The topic that I find most intriguing and relevant to our lives as students is that of slothfulness. Of the seven sins, it is the most characteristically modern. How can this be? Isn’t slothfulness another word for laziness? And isn’t a student characterized by a busy, task-oriented, success-seeking person?
First, it is important to note that slothfulness is not the same as laziness. Laziness is an intentional disregard for the tangible tasks of life — things like attending classes, eating, passing exams, and fulfilling the responsibilities necessary to maintain our daily roles. Students are not lazy.
Sloth, on the other hand, is a rejection of the calling to live a life of goodness. It is a suppression of our instinct to hunger and thirst not for food or success or good grades or someone else’s approval, but for truth and love and lasting joy.
Sloth is what results when we cease to hunger and thirst for righteousness. It is easy to do. When the road is painful, it is easier in the moment to ignore the yearning for lasting fulfillment, and to numb it with any number of things – extra hours at work, food, studying, movies, sports. The problem is that, given enough time, even the most compelling distractions eventually cease to entertain.
So how can we recalibrate our hearts towards the greatest thing, the only thing that will never cease to sustain, and thereby oppose slothfulness? It begins by cultivating wisdom. Wisdom is not a binary state, it is a daily habit. And what is the beginning of wisdom? It is awe and receptivity to the mystery and majesty all around us — not of the greatness itself, but of the source of the greatness.
At Columbus Naturopathic Medicine, we provide faith-based care to help you experience God’s design for meaning, purpose, and connection. If you are interested in working with Dr. Leah Gusching, you can learn more and schedule an appointment.