A Christian Should be Sober Minded

Yesterday I was listening to the radio and heard a comment about how many times a child smiles per day as compared to how often adults smile. The numbers were drastically different which came as no surprise, but I was struck by the “compelling need” some adults feel to always be smiling. It seemed as if I was being told, “If you don’t smile, then you are an unhappy person,” or worse, “I must somehow be less loving because I don’t smile as much as a child smiles.”

I understand that children are laughing and playing much more than adults, but I’m not sure that is a bad thing. It isn’t that I think adults should be happy, but is “being happy and smiling” the sign of a healthy adult perspective? Consider today’s Epistle Reading:

St. Peter's First Universal Letter 5:6-14 (RSV) - BRETHREN, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you. Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, first in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish and strengthen you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Silvanos, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God; stand fast in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you that are in Christ.

St Peter is challenging us today to be “sober” and “watchful” in the face of suffering and temptations from the devil. As adults we understand the real struggle of life which explains our less frequent smiles than little children, but the lack of a smile is not the same thing as being despondent. Being sober minded is about vigilance and readiness to fight the temptations thrown at us by the devil. A child seemingly never-ending laugh is more about innocence than joy.

There is a difference between having joy and always smiling, just as there is a difference between sober minded and depressed. A Christian is to be filled with joy that Christ is Risen as we are still celebrating Pascha, and sober minded that even though Christ is Risen, the devil lurks behind every corner waiting to devour us.

The Innocent Victims of Politics

Today’s Gospel Reading: Matthew 2:13-23 - When the wise men departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt have I called my son." Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they were no more." But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." And he rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaos reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene."

It seems every time I consider the current moral battle being waged in American society, I am reminded of this Gospel reading. Today the Church commemorates the 14,000 innocent victims of Herod’s insane politics. Innocent children always seem to become the pawns of politicians attempting to force their agenda upon others. In the case of Herod, his furious rage over the Magi, coupled with his insane jealousy to remain in power, resulted in the killing of thousands. In the case of today’s moral war, men and women who desire guilt-free and responsibility-free sexuality, slaughter thousands of infants in the name of so-called reproductive rights. But the abuse of innocents doesn’t end with abortion.

Every time our politicians engage in political warfare, the victims are children. School lunch programs, after school activities, health care, are all political issues. But the innocent victims of politics, maybe because children cannot vote, seem to always be the children. And what’s worse is the Church, which SHOULD be comforting the children, become alternative victims when the Church’s moral teachings conflict with the political elites of the day, causing most Church to watch from the sidelines for fear of losing their tax exempt status.

The Church commemorates the 14,000 innocents murdered by Herod today. In your going about today, remember ALL the innocent children of yesterday AND today. In your prayers, beg God’s forgiveness that we have not done enough to protect our children from politicians. Then...consider how you can bring your children into the embrace and protection of the Church so they can learn the ancient Orthodox Christian morals that have historically been the only protection children ever really experienced. 

Is it good to beg God?

During the Christmas season, parents share a common struggle with the reality of begging children. Our children set their hearts on a particular gift they MUST have for Christmas, and go about the task of convincing their parents that they just don’t love their children enough if that gift doesn’t make its’ way under the Christmas Tree. EVERY parent understands this painful responsibility between wanting our children to be happy and knowing what really would make our children happy. EVERY parents understands that our children don’t fully understand the different between needs and wants. EVERY parents understands the pain of denying children something that, as parents, they know the children don’t need, or worse is dangerous for them to have.

Any now place yourself in the position of the child begging for something YOU have set your heart on this year. Have you asked God for something that, as of yet, He hasn’t given you? Do you continue to insist that God give you a particular blessing by begging Him in your daily prayers? Do you sometimes feel that God must not love you JUST because He hasn’t given you exactly what you want? Do you sometimes think YOU know better than God? Aren’t you really just behaving like a spoiled child during Christmas?

I must admit, I struggle with just how much is enough when it comes to praying “for” something we believe we need. It may be a new job, better health, nicer/kinder neighbors. During our daily prayers, we often find ourselves listing a number of “demands” from God. And then.....huff when He has decided that answer to our prayer is “no” or maybe “not yet” which makes us even more frustrated. Do we believe that if we just ask God enough, He will eventually “give in” to our demands? Worse is being taught that “just believe, and prayer with faith, and God will provide.”

Isn’t that what we learned as children? If either as parents who give in to children, or mentors who teach others to “name it and claim it” in our prayers, haven’t we just taught our children to beg God until He give in? And when He, in His wisdom and love for us, responds with “no” do we get angry or trust that He knows better what we need?

Next time you find yourself begging God after praying numerous times, ask yourself this: “Don’t I trust that God knows better?” And then finish your prayer with, “If it is God’s will.” If those final words are included with EVERY request, God will ALLWAYS “give us” what we seek because we seek His will.

A Not-so-New Temptation

Many American Christians can be heard waxing and waning over the persecution of the Church in America. Arguments around the water cooler about gay marriage and religious freedom are but the most recent example of how politics becomes spiritual in our nation. But I want to talk about a different type of persecution, what I see as a not-so-new temptation of secular praise.

Many Christians in America expend a great deal of thought and effort into their decision process, especially when it comes to their children. What preschool will best put them on the right path to success? What school will give them the best education? What education will best prepare them for college? What college will be prepared them for a stellar career? What career will earn them the greatest income? What image will the family have in the world in which their children are raised? Will their children be considered prudish or small minded? Will their children have out-dated ideals about family and the social welfare? And these are just the obvious questions. Then there are agonizing questions about the “extra-curriculars” that are presumed a requirement to earn prestige and the all-coveted scholarship to college. All this in the name of, “I want my children to be well-rounded.”

When was the last time you heard a parent include their child’s spiritual health in their life-plan? Why don’t we ask questions about faith? How will this particular extra-curricular prepare my son for heaven? Will that school encourage my daughter to turn against her Church? Will this Sunday soccer league teach my son that it is ok to be absent from Divine Liturgy for three months? Will attending boy scouts or girl scouts, two organizations which promote moral choices against the teachings of the Church, create too much temptation for my children? Will my children grow up thinking their Church is out of touch with the modern world? Have I taught my children that attending Divine Liturgy is more important than sleeping in on the “only day” available?

I could go on and on about the questions we SHOULD be asking, but I think you get the idea. Christians of the 21^st century are faced with a choice that is neither new nor is it unique to any time of Christian history. Parents (and just parents) are faced with preparing for the world or preparing for heaven. WE CANNOT prepare for both as Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6.24) When the first followers of Jesus were faced with this same reality, many refused to confess their belief in Him, “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12.43)

Extra-curricular activities are not necessarily sinful or dangerous in themselves. What IS dangerous is the reason we insist upon placing them above the life of the Church, “so that our children are well-rounded.” EVERY time our children are faced with a moral choice that conflicts with the Church, they are tempted to choose against the Church. It is high time that we begin to live the words of the Lord’s Prayer, “Led us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil.”

v  BEGIN with faith by asking questions about faith rather than the world, and commit to always placing the life of the Church “first on the list” of importance ahead of “being well-rounded” according to worldly standards.

v  CONTINUE with avoiding temptation at every step.

v  FINISH by making a choice that being prepared for heaven is infinitely more important that any college scholarship.

Child Prodigy

When a young child shows promise in a sport or art, parents invest great effort into building upon that early talent. Parents always want their children to excel, and when there is evidence that some pure talent is hidden, every effort is made to hone that talent for future success. Nobody, me included, would fault a parent for such efforts.

But....what if that same child showed promise in their spiritual life? When young children are regularly brought to Church, the rich expression of the Divine Services captures their vivid imaginations. Many young children find the outward practices of Orthodox Christianity exciting, and desire to practice them. Many young children can be seen, pretending to clergy, censing imaginary icons and people. Many young children reverently bow during the Divine Services of the Church. Many young children show promise for deep spirituality. And how do most parents react?

Unfortunately many parents, desiring for their children to live a so-called normal life, discourage their children from being “too” religious. I guess there is a fear their children might somehow be considered strange in a world that more and more has rejected Godly blessings in exchange for material burdens. In fact many parents, when they witness spiritual promise in their children, react quite opposite from those parents with artistic or athletic children. I have often heard parents, as a defense of fanatic commitment to sports practice schedules and dance recitals, argue in favor of a “well balanced” life, as if being spiritual somehow is unbalanced. And making things worse, in a society that focuses so much upon college education, the thought of scholarship offers fill parents’ minds.

If a child prodigy in music was discouraged from practicing, parents would be shunned by their peers. But when those same parents discourage their children from being “too religious” they are praised by their peers as well balanced and good parents.

What might God think?

Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. – John 12.42-43

Something to think about in the New Year.

Our Journey from Childhood to Adulthood

When Jesus called His Disciples, He said to them, “You will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6.35-36) Saint Paul, quoting the Old Testament, reminds us that God had promised to become our Father long before He called His disciples. “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6.18, 2 Kingdoms 7.14)

Once we are Baptized and Chrismated into Christ, we ARE the children of God, but just like “normal” childhood, we still have some growing to do. This is why Saint Paul said, “Therefore having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7.1) Our Christian life is a journey from childhood to adulthood.

Every child is guided by teachers, mentors, and parents to become the most they are meant to be, and in every way we are children of God. He has given us His Church as teacher, mentor, and mother to guide and shape us as we become children of God. We are never quite complete; as Saint Paul says, we are “perfecting holiness” through the life of the Church. However, even though we may still be children, we are STILL children of God, and He will never abandon us on our journey.