The Obstacle Is The Way
The text I have chosen to review is Meditations, written between 170 and 180 AD by Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoic philosopher. Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy that was birthed and flourished in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. The Stoics believed that practicing virtue(s) would lead to happiness and a well-lived life. The four specific virtues emphasized in Stoicism are wisdom, courage, self-control, and justice.
Marcus Aurelius is perhaps the most well-known and widely read of the ancient Stoics.
And hereby ends my dry Wikipedia introduction.
I chose Meditations after immersing myself in the modern writings of Ryan Holiday, an American philosopher, author, and podcaster who has been notably influential in spreading the Stoic philosophy in his writings. I devour anything from Ryan Holiday that I can get my hands on! Like myself, Holiday is a voracious reader. And I am smitten with the fact that he owns and operates his own independent bookstore, called Painted Porch Bookshop, in the small community of Bastrop, Texas, where he lives on a 40-acre ranch.
I want my own bookstore. Oh, and I want my own 40-acre ranch, too. Also, I can’t help but love that Holiday is a musician who cites Metallica and Iron Maiden as his influences.
He’s quite the Renaissance man…much like Marcus Aurelius.
Now, it should be noted that there is debate around Aurelius’ attitude towards Christians in the first two centuries of the Christian era. The severity of persecution of Christians seemingly increased during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Still, what is debated is the extent to which Aurelius himself directed, encouraged, or was aware of these persecutions.
All this talk is getting me interested in re-watching 2000’s epic historical drama Gladiator, starring Russell Crowe. Richard Harris stars as Marcus Aurelius, and Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus, Marcus Aurelius’ son. It’s a Ridley Scott masterpiece. AND…buckle up, movie fans because Gladiator 2 is coming to a theater near you in November 2024.
Let’s see, what other epic blood sport is playing out before our very eyes in November 2024? Oh, yeah, the U.S. Presidential Elections.
This brings me to what this text has taught me regarding leadership: The Obstacle is the Way.
In Meditations, Book 5.20, Aurelius says, “The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” In context, Aurelius refers to putting up with people and events, even when they obstruct or impede us. The very obstructions and/or impediments often serve as the way forward. What stands in the way becomes the way.
This is paradoxical at first. An obstacle blocks. It prevents progress. How, then, can an obstacle to a goal become the way to the goal?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t often like “the obstacle way.” I prefer smooth sailing. I opt for fewer obstacles, not more. I’ve been known to chock up challenges to the devil and pray my way out of difficulty. Aurelius, however, sees the art of life “not as a dancer but as a wrestler: waiting, poised and dug in, for sudden assaults” (Mediations, 7.61).
I want to run when I see what’s coming our way in November 2024. No, I’m not talking about the Gladiator sequel; I’m talking about the potential replay of all things 2020. I want to hide out. I want to move overseas. I, frankly, don’t want to be a pastoral leader if, again, things look anything like they did in 2020.
And I’m not alone. A lot of pastoral leaders are bailing out. Those alarming stats are coming in strong. Of course, there are a number of reasons for this, and you’ll have to read my final doctoral project to unearth them, but suffice it to say that pastoral leaders are languishing, burning out, and resigning from ministry. One of the contributing factors that I have discovered in my research has to do with an under-developed theology of suffering.
The Apostle Paul, in Philippians 3:10 exhorts, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” This scriptural and theological understanding is often overlooked or downplayed in modern Evangelical church leadership, replete with celebrity pastors, the prosperity-lite gospel, and Instagram accounts such as @preachersnsneakers that seem to only showcase success and upward mobility. Pastors, like myself, are not immune to the lure. Yet when struggles come and tragedy strikes, disillusionment, and depression can often result. However, perhaps suffering is a feature, not a bug. Perhaps the obstacle IS the way.
Pastor Andrew Damazio, in a recent message, spoke vulnerably about the painful season of pastoral ministry he has been experiencing for some time.[1] He asserted, “I’m scared that we have a generation that wants the oil but doesn’t want the squeezing or pressing.” He referenced Jesus, who perhaps “shows us in Gethsemane how to survive our own Gethsemane.” Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder in Rare Leadership would term this “suffering well.” “We all suffer. We all endure hardship. What separates maturity from immaturity is the ability to suffer well.”[2]
One pastor I interviewed commented, “Often pastors’ compulsions such as porn, overeating, alcohol, or binging TV are fed by our personal and ministerial suffering. Perhaps we are looking for ways to medicate and don’t even know it. Perhaps if we knew how to ‘suffer well’, we would not fall for these kinds of compulsive actions.” Aurelius supports this notion by saying, “We have various abilities, present in all rational creatures as in the nature of rationality itself. And this is one of them. Just as nature takes every obstacle, every impediment, and works around it – turns it to its purposes, incorporates it into itself – so, too, a rational being can turn each setback into raw material and use it to achieve its goal” (Meditations, 8.35). I love how Gandhi, in a 1909 speech, put it, “The grandest aid to the development of strong, pure, beautiful character which is our aim, is the endurance of suffering.”
So. Don’t. Give. Up.[3] Even when things get dark. That’s when our light becomes most necessary. Regardless of the gladiator ring you and I get tossed into, regardless of who becomes our next president (perhaps again). Regardless of what obstacles are in front of us, persevere, my friends. Aurelius says, “Keep at it, until it’s fully digested. A strong stomach digests whatever it eats. A blazing fire takes whatever you throw on it, and makes it light and flame” (Mediations, 10.31).
The obstacle…the suffering…IS the way.
[1] Andrew Damazio, “Heart to Heart: My Heart Hurts,” December 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toeb8EjJGw0&themeRefresh=1
[2] Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder, Rare Leadership in the Workplace (Chicago: Northfield Publishing, 2021), 15.
[3] Shameless plug to check out my book Don’t Give Up: Encouragement for Weary Souls in Challenging Times
About the Author
John Fehlen
John Fehlen is currently the Lead Pastor of West Salem Foursquare Church. Prior to that he served at churches in Washington and California. A graduate of Life Pacific University in San Dimas, CA in Pastoral Ministry, and Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA with a Masters in Leadership and Spirituality. He and his wife Denise have four grown children and four grandchildren. John is the author of "Don't Give Up: Encouragement for Weary Souls in Challenging Times," a book for pastoral leaders, a children's book called "The Way I See You," and the forthcoming "Leave A Mark: The Jouney of Intentional Parenting." You can connect with John on Instagram (@johnfehlen) as well as at johnfehlen.substack.com.8 responses to “The Obstacle Is The Way”
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The obstacle is the way! Well, I just got off a zoom meeting with Cliff, my advisor, to talk through the obstacleS to my project! And yes, that S is supposed to be capitalized! I am going to take this quote and try to see how the obstacles might actually provide the way for my project to flourish. Great food for thought.
I hear you Kally. I just got my Project Delivery Plan back from my PF, and welp, I “gots some work to do!”
It’s crazy doing a doctoral project on pastoral languishing, burnout, and resignation, while wanting to quit Every. Single. Day.
Ah, but alas I press through, knowing that “strength will rise as I wait upon the Lord.” Doesn’t mean it won’t suck, however! Ha!
Keep going sister.
Hi John,
This was a great read.
Lately, I have envisioning large stones in the path of a rushing stream. (I’m the stream) While the stones are immovable, the stream rushes around the obstacles, and it heads toward its preordained destination.
There have been a lot of stones these last couple of years and unfortunately, I have been crashing upon them trying to get them to move.
The answer of course was to go around them. But I am a slow learner and the frustration of “people” in my way tempted me to anger.
Still the stones did teach me a lesson. After I passed around these obstacles, when I turned back, I gained a new perspective. The obstacles were there for a reason that I could not see.
I know that sounds rather vague, but it is the “No’s” That galvanize me to do creative work arounds. Since God put them in my path, I now see these obstacles and teaching points/periods. Where my will must bend to His.
Thanks for sharing this.
Shalom….
I appreciate this transparency Russell. You said something important, as well as profound…
“My will must bend to His.”
Amen to that. And yet, my pride fights that on a regular basis. I would much rather, God bent towards ME. “Let my will be done, oh Lord.”
🙂
Oh, how foolish that would be.
It’s great to see we both chose Meditations! I focused on how Aurelius’ advice to “be one” leads to personal responsibility in leadership, while you took a deeper look at obstacles and suffering as essential to growth. I really enjoyed how you tied this into modern pastoral challenges and resilience.
I really enjoyed “Meditations.” I really did. It felt like reading the Book of Proverbs. I know I was reading a translation of the original text, which certainly helped it to feel very modern and relevant to me.
I look forward to reading and commenting on YOUR post!
I’ve heard of Ryan Holiday — the friend who recommended that I read Meditations (he also recommended several other great books) mentioned him. I’m sure I’ve listened to his podcast before (it’s popped up in my podcast feed).
Regarding Gladiator, my oldest son and I watched it as recently as last weekend when he and his wife were visiting us. He said it had been about 10 years since he watched it, so it was time! Such a classic movie…and I probably wanted to watch it because I knew my post on Meditations was right around the corner.
Lastly, you wrote, “One of the contributing factors that I have discovered in my research has to do with an under-developed theology of suffering.” John, you are spot on, and I can’t wait to read what you’ve written with your project. I’m tackling a similar subject (why pastors are resigning, burned out, etc.) from a different vantage point. I look forward to your findings being a go-to for me to use.
John. You wrote that Aurelius wrote that he sees the art of life “not as a dancer but as a wrestler: waiting, poised and dug in, for sudden assaults”
Honestly, that sounds exhausting.
In fact, that is the beef I have with Stoicism. To me it feels like a ancient expression of the “do” culture of today. As in “if I just do this and this and this and this and this, then I’ll shape my life to be better/more effective, etc.”
However, I think you are spot on with the ‘underdeveloped theology of suffering’ point. I know that in current suffering I am experiencing, I probably would have been a lot better off had I had a more robust grasp of how to address it before it started.
But the thing is, even now as I DON’T GIVE UP (great book, by the way), I’d rather approach it as a dance than a wrestling match, because while I think both will get us through, one seems a lot more joyful!