Everyone is Worthy of Mercy and Love

It is easy to love those who love us back, but even sinners do the same. This is reminder from Christ in the Gospel on the Second Sunday of Luke. (see Luke 6.31-36) As Christians we are called to higher form of love than what is easy in the world. We are called to love whether or not someone loves us back. We are called to love whether or not someone is nice to us. We are called to love even our enemies, because everyone is worthy of mercy and love.

A Promise is not a Contract

All this talk about promises this week and it makes me wonder if there were any reason God would break His promise. In our human experience people break their promises all the time. One reason is because one person in the relationship doesn’t live up to the bargain. Since one person broke their promise we feel there is no need for us to maintain our promise. The truth is, this is a contract relationship rather than a genuine promise. When God makes a promise, He is not limited to whether or not we uphold our end of the bargain.

Take Noah in today’s reading as an example. As soon as stepped out of the Ark we hear of hem getting drunk and losing control. One might expect that God would go back on His word after Noah’s behavior. The Scriptures just finished calling Noah righteous, and today we hear of him cursing his own family. Where is the righteousness in cursing your family?  Every time we turn around humanity is cursed from within, but not from God.

God is steadfast in His promise to rescue us from this fallen world. Nothing we can do, nothing YOU can do, will make God break His promise. When God makes a promise, it isn’t a contact, it is a promise. That shouldn’t give us license to act ungrateful. But it should remind us that God’s love for us is worthy of our love in return. Take a moment this week and think how you might be able to express your love for God. As Orthodox Christians we express our love for God in the way we treat others. Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me more than these......fee my sheep.” (John 21.15) Today is a good day to feed someone.

Here are today’s Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 26:21-27:9 (RSV) -  For behold, the LORD is coming forth out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed upon her, and will no more cover her slain.  In that day the LORD with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.  In that day: "A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!  I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest any one harm it, I guard it night and day;  I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would set out against them, I would burn them up together.  Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me."  In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots, and fill the whole world with fruit.  Has he smitten them as he smote those who smote them? Or have they been slain as their slayers were slain?  Measure by measure, by exile thou didst contend with them; he removed them with his fierce blast in the day of the east wind.  Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be expiated, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones crushed to pieces, no Asherim or incense altars will remain standing.
 Genesis 9:18-10:1 (RSV) -The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.  These three were the sons of Noah; and from these the whole earth was peopled. Noah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard; and he drank of the wine, and became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent.  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.  Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father's nakedness.  When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, "Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers."  He also said, "Blessed by the LORD my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.  God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his slave."  After the flood Noah lived three hundred and fifty years.  All the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.  These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; sons were born to them after the flood.
 Proverbs 12:23-13:9 (RSV) - A prudent man conceals his knowledge, but fools proclaim their folly.  The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.  Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.  A righteous man turns away from evil, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.  A slothful man will not catch his prey, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.  In the path of righteousness is life, but the way of error leads to death.  A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.  From the fruit of his mouth a good man eats good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.  He who guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.  The soul of the sluggard craves, and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.  A righteous man hates falsehood, but a wicked man acts shamefully and disgracefully.  Righteousness guards him whose way is upright, but sin overthrows the wicked.  One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.  The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man has no means of redemption.  The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

Love Requires a Relationship

God commands us to love as He loves. It isn’t an option. It cannot be avoided. Anything other than love reveals the lie in our hearts. Consider today’s Epistle Reading:

St. John's First Universal Letter 4:20-21; 5:1-21 (RSV) - Beloved, if any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also. Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.  And his commandments are not burdensome.  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood.  And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth.  There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree.  If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has borne witness to his Son.  He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.  He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne to his Son.  And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life. I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.  And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.  If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal.  There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that.  All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal. We know that any one born of God does not sin, but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life.  Little children, keep yourselves from idols.  Amen.

I bring this up today because I think it often comforts me to think that Christians have struggled from the very beginning to ‘walk the walk’ and ‘talk the talk’ of belief in Christ. Our battle against the devil isn’t new and the Church has a two thousand year track record of overcoming the struggle. Readings like today, if we have ears to hear and eyes to see, can serve to inspire us to either keep up the battle or get back into the fight.

Great Lent, which begins in just a little over a week, is our chance to get back into the battle. This coming Sunday the Church will remind us of the coming judgment. Let’s not wait until it is too late to fight back.

Heaven isn’t about loyalty

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son Jesus tells us a story of two sons, one loyal and the other not. The not-so-loyal son, thinking he was deserving of his inheritance early, spent everything he had on harlots and sinful living. The loyal son remained at home with their father and maintained the family business. The not-so-loyal son found himself broke and hungry with nothing to call his own. The loyal son had the family wealth at his fingertips whenever he desired. After a long separation, the three were reunited. The not-so-loyal son was comforted by the father while the loyal son found himself suffering with anger.

What was the difference? Both sons were loved by the father, but only one experienced his love as comfort. When the not-so-loyal son returned to his father to become a servant, the father was willing to forget his sins and selfishness and welcome him home again. The father never once stopped waiting for his son to return, and the son felt the father’s love deep in his heart. The loyal son, though he never left the father, refused to experience the father’s love as comfort. Instead he could only resent his brother for returning home as if nothing had happened. The father never stopped sharing everything he had with the loyal son, but the loyal son never accepted his father’s love.

The difference was love. Without love the son’s loyalty was nothing more than a job. Without love the father may have forgiven the son, but would never have welcomed him home. Without love both sons would be left out in the cold, but with love both sons had the potential of being comforted by the father. Love makes all the difference.

The Orthodox Church teaches that this parable is about our reality of being loved by God. If we experience God’s love as comfort, we will be in heaven. If we experience God’s love as a burden and unfair as the loyal so experienced, we will be in hell. Heaven and hell won’t be about whether or not we sinned. Heaven and hell will be about how we experience God’s love.

Do you want to be in heaven? Then you must learn the lesson of love. Love isn’t about loyalty and obligation. Love is about forgiveness and repentance. As we continue our preparations for Great Lent, the Church invites us to choose to experience God’s love for what He intends. God loves every one of us, loyal or not. It is our choice how we experience His love.

We Already Know What to Do

When we were growing up, our parents and teachers spent much of their time teaching us the proper way we were to behave. They taught us how to act in Church, the proper way to sit in a restaurant, and the polite way to remain still and quiet in a library. As we grew older and we forgot our manners (as we often did) our parents would remind us about proper behavior. As we grew even older and still forgot how to properly behave, if we were lucky they would ask, “Didn’t I teach you how to behave? Show me how you are supposed to act in Church.” Since we did remember everything they taught us, even though we didn’t always act like it, we were always able to repeat the rules to them. “We are supposed to sit quietly and pay attention” Eventually we became adults and our parents were no longer constantly reminding us about our behavior because we already knew what to do.

There was a certain ruler, who just like us knew the right way to behave. In fact he had always followed the rules. One day he asked Jesus how to have eternal life. When Jesus reminded him about keeping the commandments he said, “All these I have observed since my youth.” (Luke 18.21) He must have thought he was “good to go” to heaven, since he had always followed the rules. But there was something missing that Jesus pointed out to him. "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Luke 18.22) There was only one little problem.....he was very very rich. The ruler walked away from Jesus that day very sad.

You see it isn’t enough to just follow the rules. Rules don’t get us into heaven. There are many stories in the Holy Scriptures about people who follow the rules but still end up losing. Of course it isn’t because they followed the rules that they lost. They lost because they thought following the rules was the key to heaven. They lost because they didn’t understand the purpose behind the rules in the first place. It is the purpose that counts, not just the rules.

When the ruler thought following the rules would be enough to get him into heaven he didn’t realize the rules had a deeper purpose. The rules were supposed to help him love the way God wanted him to love. When Jesus said, “You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,’” He offered a few of the Commandments to remind the ruler that when we want to love like God loves, we would not commit adultery, or murder or steal or lie. Jesus was telling the ruler that the Commandments were supposed to help him learn to love.

Unfortunately for the ruler he was more concerned about whether the rules were being followed and never considered that he was expected to love. How do we know? When Jesus said, “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor,” He knew that only someone who loved the way God loves would be willing to sell everything. Unfortunately for the ruler, he decided to walk away.

We are blessed because, just like our parents were willing to remind us about the rules, the Church is willing to remind us about the rules. We don’t have to walk away from God. We can still choose to learn from our mistakes. We can still choose to learn to love the way God wants us to love. After all, it isn’t about just following the rules. It’s about learning to love, but then again....we already know what to do.

Can You See God?

On the third Sunday of the Triodion, known as Judgment Sunday in the Orthodox Church, the Church turns our attention toward the Parable of the Last Judgment. We are taught by this parable the world will be divided between those who see God and those who don’t see God. In telling the story, Jesus exalts those who fed Him, clothed Him, gave Him a drink, and visited Him in prison. Those who are condemned, according to Jesus, are those who didn’t do these things. You should read the entire account in Matthew 25.31-46. In short, Jesus says, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25.40)

The Parable of the Last Judgment isn’t about feeding the poor, although we should feed the poor. What makes feeding the poor part of our salvation is when we can SEE GOD in the poor. If we cannot see God, then even if we feed the poor, we will be lost. As I have said before, even Atheists can feed the poor but their actions will not save them. Every human being is created in the Image of God, and if we truly believe in Him, we will be able to see His Image in each other as human beings.

As we learned last week with the Parable of the Prodigal Son, each human being sins, but when we really love God, we can see past the sin and see God in them. Today the Parable of the Last Judgment drives the point still deeper into our hearts to warn us that our final judgment will depend on whether or not we can see the Image of God in each other. Great Lent is just around the corner. The Church is calling us to reflect in our hearts about our love for God and how that translates into how we see other people, and Judgment Sunday is a great reminder that saying we love God isn’t the same as SEEING Him.

Loyalty is nothing without love

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son Jesus tells us a story of two sons, one loyal and the other not. The not-so-loyal son, thinking he was deserving of his inheritance early, spent everything he had on harlots and sinful living. The loyal son remained at home with their father and maintained the family business. The not-so-loyal son found himself broke and hungry with nothing to call his own. The loyal son had the family wealth at his fingertips whenever he desired. The not-so-loyal son was comforted by the father while the loyal son found himself suffering with anger.

What was the difference? Both sons were loved by the father, but only one experienced his love. When the not-so-loyal son returned to his father to become a servant, the father was willing to forget his sins and selfishness and welcome him home again. The father never once stopped waiting for his son to return, and the son felt the father’s love deep in his heart. The loyal son, though he never left the father, refused to experience the father’s love. Instead he could only resent his brother for returning home as if nothing had happened. The father never stopped sharing everything he had with the loyal son, and the loyal son never accepted his father’s love.

The difference was love. Without love the son’s loyalty was nothing more than a job. Without love the father may have forgiven the son, but would never have welcomed him home. Without love both sons would be left out in the cold, but with love both sons had the potential of being comforted by the father. Love makes all the difference.

It has to be from your heart

Today’s Gospel Reading: Luke 20:46-47; 21:1-4 - The Lord said to his disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and love salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers.  They will receive the greater condemnation."  He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins.  And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all the living that she had."  Having said this, he proclaimed, "He who has ears let him hear."

There are many opportunities each day in which we can open our hearts to the Lord and our fellow human beings. As you walk down the street you encounter countless people, each with an opportunity to share your heart and love for God. Even just a pleasant smile followed by ‘good morning’ can open another person’s heart to receive God’s love. If you choose to believe it, many of the people you pass spend their entire day without hearing a kind word or seeing an accepting face. When you open your heart to them, you open their heart to God’s love.

When Christ speaks of the scribes in today’s Gospel lesson, He is speaking of a group of people who had not opened their hearts to others. The scribes expected OTHER people to greet them with smiles and warm welcomes. The scribes expected OTHER people to give up their seats for them. The scribes did not open their heart to the experience the love of God.

As you go about your day, remember the scathing review of the scribes, and DON’T BE A SCRIBE. Don’t go through life waiting for someone else to greet you; welcome others with a smile and ‘good morning.’ Don’t wait for someone else to get up for you; offer them your place. But do it from your heart with love for God and your neighbor. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

You can't over do love

Today’s Gospel Reading: Mark 14:3-9 - At that time, while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.  But there were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment thus wasted?  For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor."  And they reproached her.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you trouble her?  She has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them; but you will not always have me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burying.  And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

This is one of my favorite readings. I have nothing more to say than this...when it comes to loving God, you can never over do it.

Holy Martyr Anastasia Intercede for Us!

A brief story about Saint Anastasia - This Saint, who was from Rome, was a most comely, wealthy, and virtuous maiden, the daughter of Praepextatus and Fausta. It was her mother who instructed her in the Faith of Christ. The Saint was joined to a man named Publius Patricius, who was prodigal in life and impious in disposition, but she was widowed after a short time. Henceforth, she went about secretly to the dwellings of the poor and the prisons where the Martyrs of Christ were, and brought them whatever was needed for their daily subsistence. She washed their wounds and loosed them from their fetters, and consoled them in their anguish. Also, because the Saint, through her intercessions, has healed many from the ill effects of spells, potions, poisons, and other harmful substances, she has received the name "Deliverer from Potions." Since the fame of her deeds had spread about, she was arrested by Diocletian's minions, and after enduring many torments she was put to death by fire in the year 290. (from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America website)

Can you imagine being killed just because you show compassion on other people? Can you imagine being burned to death just because your love for Christ provided you with the willingness to wash the wounds of Christian prisoners? Do you still thing your faith is strong? Do you still think you are loving the way Christ has called you? Something to consider just days before the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord.

Giving Tuesday

I learned something yesterday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving has become known (or is in the process of becoming known) as “Giving Tuesday” during which we are encouraged to give to charity. Charities asking for donations during the holiday season isn’t a new thing. In fact, I was just working on our Church “Christmas Appeal” yesterday coincidentally of course. So why I am blogging about “Giving Tuesday” today?

Today’s Epistle Reading: St. Paul's First Letter to Timothy 5:22-25; 6:1-11 - TIMOTHY, my son, do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor participate in another man's sins; keep yourself pure. No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. The sins of some men are conspicuous, pointing to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good deeds are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden. Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be defamed. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brethren; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these duties. If any one teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching which accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit, he knows nothing; he has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among men who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs. But as for you, man of God, shun all this.

The human struggle between greed and generosity is an old struggle, and many have “wandered away” from the true teaching of the Church in hopes to become wealthy. Still something bothered me yesterday about “Giving Tuesday” that I wanted to share. WHY do we even NEED a day to encourage people to give to charities? Is it to soothe our guilty consciences? Do we somehow know that our shopping sprees and wealth building is leading our soul away from God? Or have professional fundraisers perfected the “art of the ask” when it comes to charitable giving?

I watched an interview yesterday with a representative from the organization spearheading “Giving Tuesday” and what struck me was the lack of purpose behind the giving. According to the organizers website, ">GivingTuesday connects diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving.” And then it occurred to me.... “Giving Tuesday” is a MOVEMENT, and I am always skeptical of movements. Movements are mean to “move people” from one place to another, so my question is, “To where does the “Giving Tuesday Movement” desire to move the world if not toward the Church? There is NO mention of God or religion among the information for volunteers and organizations. The only reference to God/Church/Religion was a list of religious organizations that profited from the movement. What I DID find was a bunch of gimmicks used to increase fundraising dollars. Even the list of religious organizations was more of a “you can get some too” presentation without praise for the actual Christian work being done. The implication was “Just list your cause and you too can be rich.”

As Christians our giving is not a movement, nor is it a gimmick; and it is most certainly NOT a tool to unite the globe. It is an expression of OUR LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST. If all “Giving Tuesday” is going to accomplish to increase the donations collected for charitable organizations rather than bring Jesus Christ into the hearts of the people, isn’t Giving Tuesday just another “love of money” exercise under the disguise of giving?

And then there was another post I came across yesterday from Pflag urging people to stop donating to the Salvation Army because the Salvation Army opposes gay marriage despite the hundreds of thousands each year who benefit from the outreach and assistance which they otherwise would not receive if not for the Salvation Army. I found the post painfully ironic since we are often told to ignore a minor detail like abortion in favor of the great work of Planned Parenthood as reasons why we should fund that organization.

Ultimately I’m quite sure many good and holy organizations received benefit from “Giving Tuesday” yesterday, and for that I am thankful. But when our Christian life is limited to “doing good things” than we no longer need Christ. We become a “Dogooder” rather than a Christian.

Your Salvation is Outside Your Door

In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazaros (Luke 16.19-31), Jesus tells of an opportunity for salvation that goes unnoticed by the rich man. Day after day he stepped out his door passing over his salvation, an unnamed and unknown poor man “desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.” (Luke 16.21) Day by day the rich man was sealing his fate for an eternity of torment and grief, while the fate of the poor man rested firmly in the bosom of Abraham. Both men died, and both men met their fate.

Just outside your door, if you are choose to notice, is your salvation waiting for you. Every time you step out your front door is an opportunity to meet your salvation face to face. The rich man in the parable was so focused on his own comfort that he didn’t even know the name of the man lying across his front steps. When you step out your door you leave behind the comfort of home, but you also leave behind the chains of torment and grief. Every person you meet, rich or poor, is your opportunity for salvation.

Your salvation isn’t about rich or poor. It isn’t about names. It is about bread crumbs and dogs. It is about being able to see the person just outside your door, not as a burden or inconvenience but with compassion and love. Salvation is about love.

True Diversity Requires True Tolerance

I was recently appointed to serve for one year on a "Faith and Values Advisory Board" for our local newspaper. We meet once each month to discuss life in the community and how people of faith might be "view the issues" facing our community. This month was my first column, and I thought I would share it with my fans here as well.... I pray my words are a source of comfort and hope to anyone in our city who might read them....and you never know......by God's grace maybe someone will be inspired to Live A New Life In Christ by the column.

For the past four years I have been blessed with the opportunity to participate on a diversity panel along with several religious leaders from the Pee Dee area. The panel is part of the Building Bridges program sponsored each spring by the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce. Each of the four years, I was asked to speak about what was needed to build bridges of diversity for the greater community, and each of the four years, I have responded with the same answer. “We need to be OK with allowing each other to be who we genuinely are.” The reality of being genuine requires something that, quite frankly, goes against our immediate impulse.

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Why is Love Such a Challenge?

When Jesus gave us the Golden Rule, He gave us something much more than a commandment. He gave us a challenge. It seems Christ knew that we enjoy a challenge. He said, “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” (Luke 6.31-32) With these words Jesus challenged us to look at others as if we are looking in a mirror, and that is a great challenge.

Because of our fallen nature, we tend to look at others with a sense of comparison. “At least I don’t look like that.” “At least I don’t behave like that.” “At least I’m smarter and richer than that.” When was the last time we looked at someone else, as if we were looking at ourselves and said, “I know they are struggling with something nobody else knows.” “I know they feel like they can’t seem to catch a break.” “I know they just want us to trust them.” The point is, we all struggle with living our Christianity according to God’s commands. The only true comparison is “which” sin we have committed that someone else has not. We all sin, so why place our right to be loved ahead of anyone else?

Christianity was not the first to understand the concept of treating others the way we want to be treated, but that is the easy part. The challenge – what makes the rule ‘golden’ – is to place ourselves in someone else’s situation and love them. The challenge – what Christians are uniquely called to live – is to love even whom we think we know to be the most sinful. Sin is sin, and nobody is without sin – except God – so why not love. Are you up for the challenge?

It’s Not about Love....It’s about MONEY

With yesterday’s SCOTUS (that’s the Supreme Court of The United States for those like myself still behind in the acronym game) decision that same-sex marriage will now be completely legal in all 50 states, it occurs to me to share a few words. I offer my words, simple and few, to the many and complex of others in responding to the court decision.

It isn’t about love. When I turned to social media yesterday, it seemed my screen had been taken over by rainbows – rainbow flags, rainbow corporate logos, rainbow pictures of The White House; there’s even a Facebook app to shade your profile picture rainbow. Just short of the rainbows was the slogan “Love Wins” running a close second. I’ve got news for you.....it isn’t about love. The LGBT community has been allowed to love anyone they wish since the beginning of time. No law legalizing marriage changes that fact. The LGBT community had been celebrating “non-legal” marriage for quite some time in several mainline Christian Churches. No law legalizing marriage changes that fact. The ONLY thing that really changed yesterday was the money.

It’s all about the MONEY. I have several friends who have been fighting for LGBT rights since I knew them in college, and I can remember quite vividly being told, “We don’t want to be allowed to marry, we just want to visit our friends in the hospital.” This mantra ended shortly as the demand for inheritance rights and other “end of life” issues seemed (to my perception) to consume the LGBT community which at the time understandably was falling victim to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. But then things changed...

Our society began to respond to the call of LGBT community activists by changing various laws which previously had limited financial equality among the LGBT community. A term had been coined, “Civil Unions” which allowed for insurance companies and the like to extend health care and survivor rights etc to LGBT partners. But it still didn’t end with civil unions. Very quickly it became about the legal status surrounding the term marriage and it’s privilege in the tax code. Those who were married, and therefore only heterosexual couples, could take advantage of various deductions and other tax benefits. Something had to change! And change it did yesterday.

But the money doesn’t stop with the LGBT victory at the Supreme Court. The pendulum is always moving. Already yesterday various high profile columnists within the LGBT community had already pushed ahead with posts warning others that the fight was not over. There have been, and I expect will continue to be, calls for Churches which refuse to support the new law to be stripped of their tax exempt status. See.....? It’s all about the money.

Because I don’t recall reading ANYWHERE that those who support traditional marriage offering to give up their various tax benefits. I don’t recall hearing of a single Church offering to pay property taxes in order to be allowed to not support same-sex marriage. It’s ALWAYS about the money. Well, maybe not always, but I haven’t witnessed many times when it has not been about the money. Let’s face it. How many Christians in 2015 love God enough to continue financially supporting their Church if their donation wasn’t tax deductible? How many Christians who, WITHOUT COMPLAINT, would forgo their vacations, beach houses, flat screen TVs, and other luxuries, in order to logarithmically increase their donations to the Church in order for the Church to pay property taxes? If the lack of financial support for Orthodox Churches today, and that is WITH all our tax benefits, is any indication, I believe we have our answer.

I wonder.......if there was no money on the table, if we would even be having this debate... 

Do You Love Your Friends Enough?

On the Second Sunday of Great Lent we hear of a paralytic who had four friends who loved him enough to not give up trying to get him into the presence of the Grace of God. When Jesus saw THEIR faith, the Gospel says He turned to the paralytic and said, “Your sins are forgiven.” How much do you love your friends? Do you love them enough to never give up trying to bring them to encounter the Grace of God in His Church? Do you love them enough to bring them to Christ in His Church so they can hear the words, “Your sins are forgiven?” The Uncreated Energy of God is present in His Grace in the Holy Sacraments of the Church. If we truly loved our friends enough, our Churches would be filled to capacity with those seeking a real encounter with the Grace of God. Our friends would hear the words, “Your sins are forgiven.”

We are Saved in Serving Others

When one paralyzed man was brought by his four friends to Jesus Christ for healing, it was THEIR faith that Jesus noticed. We hear in the Gospel of Mark, “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." (Mark 2.5) In this encounter, Jesus is reminding us that we have a responsibility to our fellow human beings.

Jesus taught serving others is the path toward salvation. Here are a few reminders...

• “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9.35)
• “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13.34-35)
• "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” (John 15.12)
• “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22.39)

The essence of every human relationship is love, both for God and our neighbor. If we love God, we will serve others. As we serve others, God will bless both the ones we serve and us. What have you done this week to serve others? 

Don’t Confuse Permission with Approval

On the second Sunday of the Triodion, the Church calls our attention to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and the beauty of repentance. In the story, just to remind you, the younger son felt that he deserved his inheritance early, before his father’s death. He approached his father and said, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.” (Luke 15.12) The father gave the son permission to take his inheritance and journey “to a far country,” in which he wasted every last penny on sinful living. In the deepest depth of sin and despair, the son realizes his mistake and chooses to return to his father and beg for a job. The father not only welcomes him home, he, “had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15.20)

While the son was away, the father waited and watched for him to return. He had given his permission for the son to leave, but never approved of the life the son had chosen to live. That is the love of a father, who knowing certain choices are wrong and dangerous, still allows his son to walk away from him. All the while, the son, thinking he was free from his father’s control, lived according to his own choices. But the father, while not approving of the son’s choices, never gave up hope for the son’s return.

God give us the same permission to live according to our choices. He doesn’t always approve of those choices, but He allows them hoping that we will choose to return to Him, as the Prodigal Son returned. With the coming of Great Lent, we are given an opportunity to CHOOSE to return to God’s way of life, and be restored to our original glory. But before we can return, we must first realize that just because God allows us choices, doesn’t mean He approves of the choices we make.

We are not Worthy of God’s Love

The first sermon of St John the Baptist, as he was preparing to baptize Jesus Christ, he commanded his followers, “Repent; For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” When he spoke about Jesus directly he admitted he was not worthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. YET....many of us declare ourselves worthy of every blessing. However unless we admit that are not worthy, and that we must repent, we cannot truly welcome the appearing of Jesus Christ into our lives. Without repentance, there is no Kingdom of Heaven.

Words Matter

With the recent public outcry and racial tensions in America lately over a few (in my opinion) overly publicized legal cases, I have decided to say a few words on the subject, because words matter. Language is a very important element in any society as it defines how members of said society “agree to interact” along personal, social and business transactions. In fact, within the history of the Church, many deep theological arguments were waged over nuances in language. Some arguments, such as the “nature” or “natures” of Christ, resulted in centuries-long schisms with the Christian Church. I use this simply for the sake of example since this post is NOT about theology, but sociology.

In the recent racial outcry expressed in numerous protests and riots throughout America, it has become obvious to me that we are experiencing a language barrier that is so great, only the grace of God and genuine Christian love will ever guide us through the muddy rivers of racial tensions in America. One such barrier I have noticed is the term, “white privilege” currently being bantered about. Reactions to a post by a close friend of mine have been violent and plain old ugly. Using the tensions surrounding Ferguson and New York City as a framework, the author attempted to point out how many of our Churches experience a “tone” that might not be welcoming to members outside our “natural” circle of members.

The author’s points about our Churches are quite accurate, even as I have experienced them in 21 years of lay and ordained ministry. Many of our Churches are NOT welcoming, and anyone suggesting otherwise is just not making an honest assessment. But that alone shouldn’t be enough to create such violent reactions. I figured there had to be more to the picture, so I did a little reading on the term “white privilege” and realized we indeed had a language issue.

“White privilege” is what I would call a politically “hot” term, in that it is used in most cases to express a level of guilt and shame against white members of the ruling class. What the term attempts to convey is the reality that predominately white society has functioned, many times subconsciously , to favor white people and some might consider “white culture” if there really is such a thing in 2014. To deny this reality of any society, whether it is white America or Asian China, would simply be dishonest at best and ignorant at worst. I will state here that I am NOT referring to intentional favoritism and policies though that is undeniably part of our history as well. That would be for another blog post especially since the term “white privilege” also makes that distinction.

As Orthodox Christians I believe a better word to convey the same reality might be, “humility” since it is neither politically “hot” nor racially descriptive. From an Orthodox Christian point of view, humility is objectively acknowledging our current reality, and accepting that God desires more for us and from us. It is also a term that looks inward rather than outward, and calls EACH of us to repentance no matter what our starting point is. Humility, used from this point of view would convey the realty that our American society, being predominately white has certain subconscious realities that give white members of our society an advantage. But that is only our starting point. It also conveys that white members of our society, if they are acting with Christian love, would not desire for non-white members of our society to be overlooked, and therefore reach out to non-white neighbors etc to bridge the gap.

But humility doesn’t stop there, because it also conveys to non-white members of our society that many of these subconscious advantages are neither intentional nor historically reversible. We cannot rewrite history but we should study it and learn from it. If we learn anything from history, it might be that racial tensions are painful. To simply allow the pendulum to “swing the other way” to give non-white members of our society their fair share of advantage, is only to expect the pendulum to eventually return, leaving pain in its wake in perpetuity. Just as white members of society, if they are acting with Christian love, would reach out to non-white members, similarly non-white members of our society, if they are acting with Christian love, also would not want to cause pain and suffering.

The point of Christian humility is that as Christians each of us understands our sinfulness and we each desire to repent and grow closer to God where “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galations 3.28)

If we really want to make improvements in American race relations, a good starting point would be to stop using terms that “in themselves” enrage either side. It also means that both sides, desiring to be on the same side, must acknowledge the reality of the every side. We live in a the greatest society on the face of the Earth, which depends wholly on ever member of society acknowledging the value of the other, no matter which race, economic class, or gender he or she may  be. That is nothing more than humility.

I must also admit that one of the most difficult virtues of Christian love is to allow for free will. God doesn’t take away our free will at any time, even allowing us to deny and hate Him. Neither can we, nor should we even try to, take away anyone else free will. That means, some will choose hate and racism. Humility allows for that too, since our love for God and each other acknowledges that some will reject love, and there really is nothing we can do to change it, but love them. If we see it in ourselves, we have been given the chance to repent.