Leadership Journal

He's not well known today, but in his time—the 14th century—John Tauler was the premier preacher in all of Europe. Each time he stood in the pulpit at the Strasburg Cathedral, large crowds gathered anticipating a great sermon. Rarely were they disappointed.

Tauler was described as "a learned and eloquent man [with] a loving and tender heart. He spoke from his heart, not from his head only." Who wouldn't be pleased to be described that way?

Nevertheless, there must have been a time when something—not easily discerned by a crowd—was lacking in the popular preacher. Humility, perhaps? Perhaps there was too much Tauler and too little Jesus in his preaching.

The only person who cared to speak into Tauler's life was a mysterious Christian layman known as Nicholas of Basle who, many years later, would be burned to death in Vienna as a heretic. Apparently Nicholas and Tauler often visited.

During one of these visits, Nicholas said, "John Tauler, you must die! John Tauler, you must die!" He repeated these words day after day.

He must have known what he was doing because Tauler took him seriously and asked his friend what he should do. What did dying mean?

"Get alone with God," Nicholas said. "Leave your crowded church, your admiring congregation, and your hold on this city. Go aside to your cell, be alone, and you will see what I mean."

In other words: stop trying to be a celebrity. Leave the limelight. Get to a place where God can whisper into your heart. "Die" in those areas of your life that feed superficiality and pride.

I'm not sure I would have done it, but Tauler accepted this counsel. He stepped down from his pulpit and retreated to a monastery. There Tauler sought a deeper relationship with God and a freedom from the need to be praised by the crowd.

Such a spiritual transition does not come quickly. In Tauler's case, he remained out of the public eye for more than two years. And a miserable two years it was: marked with desperate loneliness, even depression. But what Tauler learned in that time of silence changed him completely.

The day came when John Tauler was to preach again. The crowds swarmed to the cathedral in anticipation of what he would have to say.

When Tauler stood at the pulpit, he found that he could not speak. Instead of words there were only tears. He was overcome by a weeping that didn't stop. At first the people waited patiently, but when it become obvious that Tauler could not compose himself, they became restless. Some shouted that he had become a fool.

Finally Tauler was able to blurt out, "Dear children, I am sorry from my heart that I have kept you here so long, for I cannot speak a word today for weeping; pray God for me, that he may help me and then I will make amends to you, if God give me grace, another time, as soon as ever I am able."

A further time of silence and isolation followed. And then Tauler returned once again to the cathedral, this time with words that were spoken with remarkable power.

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