Sisoes was one of those Egyptian hermits who went off by themselves into the desert only to find their first enclave not secluded enough, and so went even further away from human contact and community. He sought to find the righteousness that can only come from pure and constant communion with God.

Well, of course we would know nothing about him if people hadn’t found him at his most distant hidey-hole. What is refreshing though is the enormous good sense and advice that he had to offer to those who came to him. Butler retails this delightful interchange:

On a visit of three solitaries wanting instruction, one of them said, “Father, what shall I do to shun hell-fire?” He [Sisoes] made no reply. “And for my part,” added another, “how shall I escape the gnashing of teeth, and the worm that never dies?” “What also will become of me,” concluded the third, “for every time I think on utter darkness I am ready to die with fear.”

Then the saint breaking silence, answered, “I confess that these are subjects which never employ my thoughts, and as I know that God is merciful, I trust he will have compassion on me.”

There is more to their dialogue, but this is the core part as far I am concerned. How utterly refreshing to have a saint whose actually believed that God actually loved him enough and had no desire that Sisoes beat himself up or worry about being damned. In fact, he found no reason to give another thought to being damned–not because he felt sufficiently righteous but because he felt sufficiently loved!

Seriously–(1) what business do any of us have worshipping a God that would ever treat us with less love that even a casual friend? and (2) what business do any of us have spending time with so-called believers in God who aren’t fully sold on their God being cool with who they are?