There are so many saints named John that each of them has to have at least one (and often more) extra descriptors to distinguish one Saint John from another. Today’s is known as John Climacus (from a treatise he wrote entitled Climax, or the Ladder to Perfection,) and sometimes as John the Scholastic (because of his love of learning the arts and sciences).

At a rather young age, John made a rather outrageous (to my American sensibilities) decision. According to Butler, John Climacus “never contradicted, never disputed with any one.” This did not mean that John substituted others’ judgments for his own, or that he denied or ignored the tremendous intellect with which he was blessed. It meant that he made the conscious decision not to engage in correcting anyone else nor entering into arguments.

John found it simply unprofitable to give energy over to ensuring that he was recognized as being right. Many came to him for advice and counsel, which he gladly gave. But when people began to grumble about his being a know-it-all, he shrugged his shoulders (metaphorically, at least) and simply stopped talking. A year later, the same grumblers came to him beseeching him to speak again, and, just as simply, he opened his mouth and offered his best advice (when asked) again. He didn’t need to score points, to be one who “told you so,” or to play the Little Red Hen.

What I learned from looking at John the Scholastic’s life is that he discovered that he had better (holier, healthier, more fulfilling) things to do than to tie his energy up in disputations. It was a truly radical acceptance on his part that he knew what he knew AND that he might be wrong, too…so that there was no reason to argue any point. He trusted that others would find their way and that his arguing wouldn’t help either the other person or himself.

It scares the hell out of me to contemplate such a step. How about you?