Ascending the Heights

I greatly enjoyed this little tome, as it sets out in 30 bite sized chapters a useable and distilled essence of Saint John Climacus's " Ladder of Divine Ascent". Each one of the thirty hurdles seems at first blush quite trivial, but an honest analysis of ones' daily life will quickly reveal how we stumble on each one of the rungs of the proverbial ladder on a daily basis. This is one of those books you should probably revert to every few years, not only as a refresher, but also for purposes of regeneration and reaffirmation. Life and its circumstances are tough, but the reassurance and guidance this little gem provides us with will serve to re center us on the path. The beauty of this book is that it is valid for members of any creed or philosophical outlook, and the underlying text represents a pinnacle of Orthodox Christian teaching.

Fr. John allows the Ladder to show us how low we tend to set the bar in our lives as modern Christians. "Ascending the Heights" goes through various aspects of our lives - our relationships, our passions, our worship, our home, work and family lives, and so on - and gives us concrete illustrations of where we fall down, and shows the heights to which we as Christians (indeed, as *humans*) are called. Knowing Father John's personal story makes this book that much more compelling.

This little book is a beautiful invitation to a deeper spiritual life for the Orthodox Christians of this age. Using down to earth examples it helps the reader understand how St. John of the Ladder's masterpiece ("The Ladder") relates to the very life of the modern Christian. It is a compelling hint that the works of the Holy Fathers do apply to us and do provide invaluable advice. Their writings are not for monastics but for every person who wants to be a Christian ( = to follow Christ). The book reveals many passions present "in disguise" in our lives and offers practical advice on how to fight them. A contemporary Father once made the remark that Christians did not have, in the past, so many spiritual writings as we do today, but very few; they followed what they had and found salvation. I dare to claim that this book is also enough for those working on their salvation, provided they seriously try to put it in practice!

I read "Ascending the Heights" during this last Lenten season and I found it very useful help for my daily struggle with my passions. A primer to St. John Climacus' spiritual classic, this book was written for contemporary Christians living in the world but not of this world. In our effort to grow closer to Christ, to simplify our lives, to control our thoughts and actions, this easy-to-read book can enrich us all with the wisdom of the Church Fathers.