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photos by
                                                                                                                                                                           Scott Greenwalt





                                                                                                                           living in
                                                                                                          Community










                                                                                                                                        by Jennifer Denning








                                                                                                                           o back in time to the year A.D. 420. A Syrian monk
                                                                                                                      gat that time decided to live out his faith in God by
                                                                                                                      isolating himself from the rest of the world. Other people
                                                                                                                      have done this throughout history; we refer to them as
                                                                                                                      hermits.  But  Simeon—who  became  known  as  Saint
                                                                                                                      Simeon  Stylites  or  Simeon  the  elder—took  the  idea  of
                                                                                                                      isolation to what we might call the extreme.
                                                                                                                         He chose to live away from people, perched atop a
                                                                                                                      pillar, at first 6 feet tall, later extended to about 50 feet.
                                                                                                                      There he resided for 39 years, exposed to the weather,
                                                                                                                      sitting or standing in a small space where only a railing
                                                                                                                      prevented him from falling to his death. His only access
                                                                                                                      to the world around him was a ladder, which his followers
                                                                                                                      used to bring him just enough food to survive.  1
                                                                                                                         Reflecting  on  the  way  Simeon  lived  his  life,  you’ve
                                                                                                                      got  to  admire  his  discipline  and  self-denial.  This  guy
                                                                                                                      took his faith seriously and sacrificed radically to show
                                                                                                                      his  dedication  to  God.  Still,  you  have  to  wonder  if  his
                                                                                                                      extreme devotion was a little misguided. His example
                                                                                                                      raises  the  question,  “Does  God  really  intend  for  His
                                                                                                                      people to live unto themselves, all alone?” The words of
                                                                                                                      Scripture indicate otherwise.





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