Spiritual Sloth and the Mr. Meh Believers

One of the Seven Deadly Sins is Sloth. Most people think this means laziness. So, for example, if someone chronically oversleeps and arrives at work late, and then while at work reluctantly puts forth the absolute minimum amount of effort needed to avoid being fired, we might say he’s guilty of the sin of Sloth.

This hypothetical guy might be guilty of being a lousy employee, but the sin of Sloth refers more to a person’s spirituality. Someone who has a very busy, active life — works hard at his job each week, is involved in many other activities, etc. — can be guilty of the sin of Sloth. If this person’s attitude about God and religious faith is bland and indifferent, that is spiritual Sloth.

A slang word used nowadays is “meh.” It means something like, “Who cares?” or “I can’t be bothered,” or “So what?”

Here’s how it’s often used: “Hey, what did you think of that new movie?” Reply: “Meh.” Or: “Wow, look at that beautiful sunset!” Reply: “Meh.”

When someone offers a blasé “Meh,” it means they have no interest or excitement about the topic. In the same way, if a person’s attitude about religious faith is “meh,” that is sinful Sloth.

I know a guy who has a fulltime job where he puts in at least 40 to 50 hectic hours every week. Then, on most Saturdays, he has a part time job. Also, he’s involved in a bunch of extra curricular activities with his family and friends. Very few people would call him lazy.

But sometimes when this guy goes to Sunday Mass, as he walks into church, this is what he is thinking: “I can’t wait for Mass to be over, so I can get back to enjoying the remainder of this rapidly disappearing weekend.”

At that moment he is not thinking about prayer. He is not thinking about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He is not thinking about fellowship with other parishioners. He is looking forward to Mass being over before it even begins. This is spiritual “meh.” This is the sin of Sloth.

By the way, I know what this particular fellow is thinking because we’re very close friends. In fact, I see him every time I look in the mirror. 

Now, to be fair, this guy is not Mr. Meh EVERY time he goes to Mass. There are many times when he genuinely wants to be there and is truly passionate about being in communion with the Lord of Heaven. But those “meh” occasions do happen.

The opposite of spiritual Sloth is spiritual passion. This is a vibrant faith, which produces the desire to draw nearer to the mind and heart of God, and to develop close friendships with other believers. And this spiritual passion is not just for Sunday mornings at Mass. It’s possible to be, to use an old evangelical term, “on fire for the Lord” the other six days of the week, too. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul wrote, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:16-18).

To be honest, it’s a major leap to go from a Mr. Meh kind of guy to a First-Thess-Five fella. But that’s OK. We can take baby steps in the journey from spiritual Sloth to spiritual passion. 

There is another passage in Scripture, from the book of Revelation, chapter 3, where believers are criticized for being “lukewarm.” In that message, the Lord warns those people, “I will spit you out of my mouth.” 

Even though the book of Revelation can be very confusing, this particular passage is clear. The Lord says He is not impressed with Meh Christians. There is no doubt that spiritual Sloth is sinful.

If you are a spiritually passionate believer, congratulations! But if you are like, um, my close friend, who shows up for Mass sometimes wishing it were already over, let’s work on those baby steps of improvement together. Let’s not lose sight of who God is and what He has done for us. Then, when we have the opportunity to be in communion with the Creator of the Universe, the last thing we’ll want to say is “Meh.”