So there was this man named Simeon who was born in 522, Butler tells us. Simeon went on a personal pilgrimage to Jerusalem, after which he went into the desert by the Red Sea and lived by himself–an austere hermit–for 29 years.

Twenty-nine years is a long time for anyone to have no other human companionship. Toward the end of this period, Simeon concocted the idea that the best way to grow closer to God was to go in search of people to humiliate him, thinking that this would teach him humility. Like I said–29 years by yourself in the desert is a LONG time.

Thereupon, under what Simeon regarded as the impulse of the Holy Spirit, Simeon left the desert and went into a town located in present-day Syria, and found just what he wanted! Butler writes:

The servant of God animated by an ardent desire to be contemptible among men, quitted the desert, and at Emesus succeeded to his wish; for by affecting the manners of those who want sense, he passed for a fool. He was then sixty years old, and lived six or seven years in that city, when it was destroyed by an earthquake in 588. His love for humility was not without reward, God having bestowed on him extraordinary graces, and even honoured him with the gift of miracles.

What is quite striking is how quickly Butler offers these words of warning:

Although we are not obliged in every instance to imitate St. Simeon, and that it would be rash even to attempt it without a special call; yet his example ought to make us blush, when we consider with what an ill will we suffer the least thing that hurts our pride.

So “don’t try this at home, folks!” From Simeon’s life, we are not encouraged to go to strange towns and act like the town idiot in order to get people to ridicule us. We’re not even encouraged to allow ourselves to believe that anyone and everyone could be led by the Holy Spirit. Instead, Simeon’s life is presented with this moral: we should feel bad about ourselves because our feelings sometimes get hurt by others.

This way of discussing Simeon seems even more nonsensical than Simeon’s actions themselves! Here’s what I take from this amusing and fascinating tale from more than 1400 years ago–some really cool things can happen (like “the gift of miracles”) when we go ahead and follow our inner promptings. If a holy spirt can prompt a man to move to Syria and act like an idiot for seven years…what could you or me be prompted to do?! (And while we’re at it, why cannot just as holy a spirit prompt someone to kickstart the Islamic religion?)

There’s a lot to dig into here. How do we distinguish between what is divine inspiration and what is psychosis or, even, a vile and destructive agenda? Why in the world would religions want to set up ideals in order to make people feel bad about themselves by comparison? Seriously–who else but the Church would take someone who spent his latter years acting like an idiot to tell people in subsequent generations how far short they fall by comparison (while warning them not to emulate this model!)?!!

I’m also quite interested in the townspeople of Emesus. To me, one very important question is how we treat people who do not act like we expect them to…and whether we can allow for at least the possibility that something divine may well be at work within and through them!