In The World But Not Of The World

Jesus calls us to come out of the “world” or “worldliness.” He doesn’t want us to be ruled by sin, or bound by the principles of the world. John 15:18-19 If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. (NLT)

At the same time, He calls us to be a light in the world: Matt. 5:14-16 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Paul challenges us to be transformed in our minds so that we are different from the world in every way – beginning with the way we think: Rom. 12:2  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The word "world" in the New Testament, is the Greek word cosmos. Cosmos most often refers to the inhabited earth and the people who live on the earth, which functions apart from God. Satan is the ruler of this "cosmos" (Jn. 12:31; 16:11; 1Jn. 5:19)

This brings me to this very interesting brother - Maxime Qavtaradze. This man feels that the Lord has called him to follow others into a life of relative seclusion – apart from the world. See what you think of this form of devotion, prayer and service:

Maxime Qavtaradze (a “stylite” - from the Greek stylos, meaning: "pillar") is a 59-year-old Orthodox monk who lives atop a stone pillar in Georgia. He has to climb a 131-foot ladder in order to leave and enter his place of solitude. A CNN photographer, Amos Chapple, climbed the cliff in order to photograph this life of seclusion and prayer.

Stylites, or “Pillar-Saints” are a type of Christian ascetic, who in the early days of the Byzantine Empire stood on pillars preaching, fasting and praying. They believed that the mortification of their bodies would help ensure the salvation of their souls. The first stylite was probably Simeon Stylites the Elder, who climbed on a pillar in Syria in 423 and remained there until his death 37 years later.

The picture to the right is Simon Stylite the Elder and his disciple Simon Stylite the younger. The elder Stylite is seen standing on one leg due to an ulcer. I'm not sure how long he had to stand on one leg!!

The Katskhi Pillar is a natural rock formation jutting upwards from the ground to a height of approximately one hundred forty feet. It has been uninhabited since around the 1400s. In 1944, some climbers ascended the pillar for the first time in centuries. They found the ruins of a church and the 600-year-old bones of the last stylite who lived there. Qavtaradze is a modern devotee of Simeon Stylites the Elder and the stylite tradition.

Though isolated, he is not a total hermit, coming down once or twice a week to counsel the troubled young men who come to the monastery at the bottom for his help. After all, he was once one of them. Though he now lives at the top of the world, Qavtaradze found his vocation when he was the lowest he's ever been, doing prison time after he "drank, sold drugs, everything" as a young man.

He took monastic vows in 1993, and has been working to rebuild the monastery complex, chapel, and hermitage for the last fifteen years.

A documentary “The Stylite” has recently been filmed to show the life and ministry of Maxime Qavtaradze.  The Trailer for the documentary: HERE

Qavtaradze surveys the view from the top of the Katskhi Pillar.

He says, "It is up here in the silence

that you can feel God's presence."

Katskhi Pillar

Qavtaradze reading inside his cottage atop the pillar.

For the first two years he slept inside a fridge
to protect himself from the weather,

but now he has a bed to rest on.

 Sergo Mikhelidze and a friend delivering lunch via a winch, the mechanism
which transports everything up to the pillar except for human beings.

Qavtaradze making the 20 minute climb to the top of the rock
after praying with others in the monastery at the foot of the cliff.
Once he is too frail to use the ladder,

he intends to remain at the top until his death.

 Qavtaradze stands by his simple cottage
on top of the Katskhi Pillar.

Think about how you can best follow the Lord's call to "be in the world, but not of the world." Has the Lord called you apart for communion with Him and a life of prayer, or are you sent to be salt and light to the world?

(Thanks to Ed Chinn for sharing an article about Qavtaradze)