On Answering the Call in Difficult Circumstances—Reflections on the Writing of Charles de Foucauld

As I stated yesterday, my intention, prayers, and hopes for this blog are to provide a forum where Christians can talk about issues of faith and/or real problems they face, identifying resources they use/draw upon to help them overcome these problems or deal with issues. To facilitate this interchange, I will attempt to post excerpts of devotional writings or passages from Scripture on a regular basis and then comment on them. I will then ask interested readers to do likewise, sharing their experiences and knowledge so that we might “watch over each other in love,” as John Wesley put it. My second excerpt comes from Charles de Foucauld:

Our Lord asks great faith from us, and he is right. We owe him great faith. After Our Lord said ‘Come’ to him, Peter had no more fear and walked upon the waters. So that when Jesus has quite certainly called us to certain circumstances in life, given us a certain vocation, we need fear nothing, but should attack the most insurmountable obstacles without hesitation. If Jesus has said ‘Come,’ we have the grace to walk upon the waters. It may seem to us impossible, but Jesus overmasters the impossible. So we need three things: first, to call out to Our Lord very clearly, and then, when we have distinctly heard his ‘Come’ (without this summons we have not the right to throw ourselves into the waters—it would be presumptuous, imprudent and rash, and a risk to the life of the soul; it would be sinful, even to mortal sin, for to risk the life of the soul is even graver than to risk the life of the body), once his ‘Come’ is heard by the soul (till that moment our duty is simply to pray and wait), we must hesitate no more but throw ourselves into the waters like S. Peter and, confident in the call that God has given, walk over the waves, without hesitation, without the least doubt or fear, sure that if we go forward in faith and confidence the path that Jesus calls to us to follow will become easy to us by the virtue of his call ‘Come.’ So let us walk with the perfect faith in the way along which he calls us, for heaven and earth shall pass away but his words shall not pass.

—From Meditations of a Hermit by Charles de Foucauld

As I read this excerpt from Foucauld this morning, it struck me that this would be a splendid opportunity to invite interested readers to offer their own reflections about a perceived calling, whatever it may be, in their lives in light of what Foucauld writes above.

For me, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own calling to the ordained ministry in some very tenuous times for the church. I have read those who urge orthodox folk to flee the church and I can both appreciate and understand the passion that evokes such a response. Yet I am grateful for Foucauld’s exhortation and warning here. He reminds us that we need to be very certain that we first have a call to follow before “jumping into the waters” to go to Jesus. Yet he also reminds us that if we DO have the call, we have nothing to fear. I have no idea how (or where) my call will end up manifesting itself or what it will eventually look like; but that is really not the point, is it? Rather, I believe my call to be valid; hence, I must pursue it with vigor, faithfulness, and trust in the One who issues the Call despite tenuous and trying circumstances. In doing so, I must always be prepared to bring honor and glory to the Christ who loves me and gave himself for me, irrespective of the circumstance or outcome, i.e., I must be prepared to suffer for Christ if called to do so. To do otherwise would be to fail to heed the call and/or perhaps take up my cross daily and carry it.

It would also demonstrate a lack of faith and trust in the One who calls. I have been unfaithful enough in my life; I dare not continue the pattern, especially in this context. And so like Paul, I will attempt, although probably unsuccessfully given my human foibles, to give thanks to God in all circumstances. I am also recently reminded that to put one’s hope in a particular outcome invites disaster; to put one’s hope in Christ will ultimately never fail because he is faithful and can be trusted. My own life experiences and the experiences of hundreds of millions of Christians over time and across cultures confirm this truth. Therefore, I will continue to wait and pray but I will also be prepared to act boldly if I perceive it to be consistent with my calling. Toward that end, I covet your prayers.

I now return to my invitation above to any interested reader. What is your perceived call and how are you demonstrating great faithfulness to it? How did you discern your call and what difficulties must you overcome in pursuing it? What in Foucauld’s writings did you find helpful (or harmful)?