Desert father | Poemen the GreatSample

Softness Conquers Hardness

Abba John, who was exiled under the emperor Flavius Marcianus Augustus, told the following story: ‘When my companions and I came from Syria to Abba Poimēn in Egypt, we wanted to ask his opinion about the hardness of heart. However, the old man did not understand Greek and there was no interpreter. When the old man noticed that we did not know what to do, due to the language barrier, he suddenly started to speak Greek. He said: ‘It is the nature of water to be soft, while the stone is hard. But if you hang a container of water over a stone, and it drips water onto the stone drop by drop, it will wear the stone away. In the same way, the word of God is gentle and our heart is hard. But if you frequently listen to the divine word, the heart is opened to respect our loving God.’

Poimēn of Sketis

We live in a time where a lot of things happen at great speed. Within hours we’re able to fly to New York. If you order clothes today, they’ll be delivered tomorrow. And in three minutes a meal can be cooked and ready-to-eat using a microwave. Convenience is king: but not everything in life can go so quickly.

In the story of Abba John, two things catch our attention. One thing happens very fast: suddenly and miraculously Poimēn is able to speak Greek. Truly God is able to perform spontaneous miracles. For example, think about what happened at Pentecost, when the Apostle Peter spoke and suddenly people from different countries understood what the apostles were saying in different languages (Acts 2:7,8). The other thing happens very slowly in the story of Abba John: the erosion of a hard stone by dripping soft water. 

We’ve all seen round pebbles on pebble beaches. Years of being immersed in running water gave them their shape. And just like pebbles, it often takes years for hearts to change. The desert fathers and mothers knew this and let the water of God's word do the work in their hearts (Ephesians 5:26). So don't be impatient. God's words can soften any hard heart. Our petrified cold heart doesn't have to stay like it is; God gives a new heart in return.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36:26, 27).