A Ramble About Coaches and Mentors

This year, my family and I have taken to watching the new season of "The Voice" on Monday nights. The contestants have all been impressive with their natural talent, but to be honest what has really impressed me are the coaches. They were all names that I had heard before, and knew they were big in the music industry, but I had never really paid much attention to because I don't generally listen to their songs. When the Voice started I didn't really know what to expect but I've grown to like some of the music reality shows and seeing the talented people get their big break and hearing their stories. My respect for the coaches has soared exponentially when watching them. The people are real artists who know their craft well and are not only able to put on a good show themselves, but are very capable singing coaches who really seem to take the time to spend with their charges and really try to help them improve. All things considered, it's been impressing me how they really keep up their end of the bargain in trying to help people with natural talent reach capabilities they never knew they had. They also bring in other artists who are legends or near legends in their industry to help them in ways which they might not be able to to help them reach even farther heights. Rather than treating their part in the competition cavalierly, they take it very seriously and it shows and for this they have earned my respect even if I don't listen to their music.

In the Star Wars prequels, we got to see how Jedis are trained and learn the ways of the Force. In short, they can't learn it on their own, but instead are taken as very young children and taught from a very early age by Jedi Masters. When they are old enough and have a sufficient grasp of the Force they are assigned to a more mature Jedi, generally a Master but not necessarily, to learn from them as a Padawan apprentice until the time when they are old enough to face the tests which will deem them ready to accept the full responsibility of knighthood. Without this bond between Master and apprentice, and the attention to teaching and training the Master gives the apprentice, the Padawan would never be able to achieve the heights of wisdom, understanding, or ability that the Jedi knights demonstrate. If Anakin hadn't been found and trained as a Jedi, he would have continued as a very unusual, very angry boy with a great deal of wasted potential. He would likely have ended up the best known human podracer, but that's pretty much it.

It goes without saying that in order to be really good at something, you need a teacher, or a guide, or a coach. You need someone who knows what they're doing. Who's played the game, who knows the rules, and who knows how to win it and where the pitfalls are. Natural talent and ability will only get you so far. You need someone who's been where you're trying to go to show you how to get there as well.

So then why doesn't it go without saying that in order to really understand how to follow Christ and to draw closer to God you need someone to guide you and coach you? There is a mistaken idea within the Church today that a person needs no one but his Bible in order to really get this down. The argument will be made "the Holy Spirit teaches the person. He doesn't need anyone else." But then, who teaches the person how to listen to the Holy Spirit and to distinguish His voice from well-sounding but deceiving voices? Who teaches the person the tricks and traps that demons will use to spin you this way and that and leave you wondering if God really exists at all? Who teaches you what's to be expected, what's to be avoided, and what the best way of achieving your goal is?

St. John Cassian wrote some time at the turn of the fifth century citing an older saintly monk called Abba Moses, "The devil brings the monk to the brink of destruction more effectively through persuading him to disregard the admonitions of the fathers and follow his own judgment and desire, than he does through any other fault. We should learn from examples of human arts and sciences. If we cannot accomplish anything in them by ourselves -- in spite of the fact that they deal with things we can touch with our hands, see with our eyes and hear with our ears -- but still need someone who will instruct us well and guide us, how can it be anything but foolish to think that the spiritual art, the most difficult of all the arts, has no need of a teacher? It is an invisible, hidden art which is understood only through purity of heart, and failure in it brings, not temporary loss, but the soul's destruction and eternal death." ("On the Holy Fathers of Sketis", The Philokalia, vol 1. Kallistos Ware et al, trans.)

I've struggled with this truth, because in this day and age it's not an easy one for Christians to come to grips with for the simple fact that it seems like there are so few "Yodas", if any, to seek out and from whom to learn the path of Jesus Christ. What do you do when it seems like no one around you really gets it when compared to what it's supposed to be like in the Scriptures? Or what do you do when you don't know if you can trust someone to train you and take you to the next level. Most expect their pastors to be able to fill that role, but the cold hard truth of the matter is that pastors are rarely trained themselves in actually being a disciple. Their heads may be full of theory, doctrine, and theology; but their practice is often a far cry from demonstrating what Jesus taught in the Gospels. And even if they are capable, it's tough giving the level of attention mentoring someone to be a disciple really needs. The truth is that it really needs to be a one on one with someone whom you trust, who follows what Jesus taught themselves, and with whom you are comfortable not only confessing your deepest flaws and thoughts to but in following their instructions concerning the same. This is a relationship not seen in the day to day workings of most churches between pastor and church member, and it requires a vulnerability and intimacy which is far too easy to be taken advantage of by corrupt and abusive people.

For my part, I've taken to seeking instruction as much as possible from the writings of these ancient Christians like St. John Cassian, Evagrios the Solitary, St. Peter of Damaskos, the author of "The Cloud of Unknowing," Thomas a Kempis, and others. It isn't a perfect solution, but in taking my instruction from them rather than relying on my own judgment I know I've grown and developed farther in the faith far more than I ever could have on my own. They bring up situations that I know I've faced in my own prayer life, walk, and Christian practice and also give instruction on how to deal with them in practical and honest ways. I know from reading them that they've been down the Path I'm trying to walk because they keep pointing out the same landmarks and landmines I've run into time and time again.

In looking for a spiritual mentor, be it a live person or the writings of knowledgeable Christians long dead, you have to be very careful. The questions you want to ask yourself are "is this person living like Jesus said to live? Is he or she humble? Does he or she care more about being successful in this world than they do about successfully drawing closer to God (and yes, they are mutually exclusive; anyone who tells you otherwise is not from God). Does he or she care about others and not return wrong for wrong? Do they do what they profess to believe, and is what they profess to believe lining up with what Jesus taught?" More often than not, those who are true Yodas in the path of Jesus Christ would never think of themselves that way, and are totally unknown to anyone except God. The writings of recognized Saints are usually safe bets because there's generally a reason why they were recognized as Saints and it usually had to do with their total devotion to Jesus Christ and doing what He said to do. There's a few which may be questionable from the later middle ages and modern times, so use discernment. The writings of more modern authors can be a gamble depending on the author. Chances are though, if he's preaching health, wealth, prosperity and good times ahead it's a safe bet to stay as far away as possible because that's not the Cross or the life the Saints came to know and embrace.

Is it possible to follow Christ without an instructor and not go wandering into left field? Theoretically, yes. But the more I learn, the more I realize how much my own judgment can't be trusted and I deeply appreciate the fact that these godly men took the time to write down their own experiences so someone like myself could learn from them. Like the coaches on the Voice, a good spiritual mentor can take raw faith and help mold and shape it into something truly profound and moving and able to cross the finish line rather than just continue to watch from the sidelines.