My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
Saint Dorotheos of Gaza has a useful model about love. He says, "the closer we are to God, the closer we are to one another. The closer we are to one another, the closer we are to God." We can think of this relationship as spokes in a wheel with God in the center. Think of the spokes of the wheel as the path that leads to God, as we move from the rim to the center of the wheel. As the spokes, or our paths, approach the center, our paths become closer together. However, when the spokes, or our paths, move away from the center, or God, as we depart the center and move toward the rim, we move away from God and from one another. The path to God is one of godliness and holiness. It is the path of the Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Treasury of blessings and Giver of Life Who cleanses us from every impurity and Who saves our souls.
For the true Christian believer God is always the center of his or her life. Everything revolves around our Creator Who created everything in wisdom and love. He is the Sun of Righteousness Who bestows upon us His grace for without it there is no life or salvation. Think how everything depends on the sun for its very existence. Just as nothing would exist without its energy, its light, its warmth, the same way and much more, nothing could exist without God’s love, His energy, His Light, His Divine Teachings and Commandments. It was our Creator that created the sun, the stars, the planets and every living thing in the world. It was no accident that the distance between the earth and the sun is precise. If our planet was to move slightly closer to the sun, our planet earth would burn up; and if the earth was to move slightly away from the sun, it would freeze instantly. This is what happens to the souls that distance themselves away from the Source of Life, the Holy Trinity. Jesus says to us: "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life" [John 8:12]. Everything that the Almighty God and Fashioner created, including light, is perfect and "very good."
A humanity that distances itself from God is a humanity which is doomed. People lose their humanity and do not recognize themselves any longer. They act beastly toward one another, and they do not see themselves as having anything in common. Under these conditions life ceases to have any value and therefore there is rampant murder and killing, unrestricted violence, they rejoice in being cruel, they doubt and question their very own gender, and rampaging is common among them. rancor is constant, they are guilty of savage behavior, stealing with no accountability or fear, there is outright lawlessness and chaos throughout. When their human identity is totally lost, they seek to replace it with that of mythical creatures or actual animals. Humanity turns to idol and demon worship. We have seen over the centuries how fickle and faithless man is, even when God has given him everything that he has asked for. What comes to mind is what Aaron, Moses’ brother, and the people did when Moses was delayed on Mount Sinai waiting for God to give him the Ten Commandments, "The people gathered against Aaron and said to him "Rise up and make us gods that shall go before us…Aaron then said to them, "Remove the golden earrings in the ears of your wives and daughters and bring them to me." So, all the people removed the golden earrings in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He received them from their hands; and he fashioned them with an engraving tool and made a molten calf. Then he said, "There are your gods, O Israel that brought you out of the land of Egypt. So, when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it" [Exodus 32:1-5]. God warns Moses to "go quickly..for your people whom you brought out of Egypt are transgressing the law. They turned aside quickly from the way I commanded them. THEY MADE THEMSELVES A CALF AND ARE WORSHIPPING AND SACRIFICING TO IT AND THEY ARE SAYING ‘THESE ARE YOUR GODS’… [Exodus 32:7-8]
God sent His Only-Begotten Son Jesus Christ to earth and became man in order to save mankind but instead He was rejected by His own people and eventually they crucified Him and killed Him. One can clearly see that humanity has not changed very much over thousands of years. However, man has the potential to be deified (theosis) and be redeemed. As Saint Gregory Palamas writes, "The Lord patiently endured for our sake a death He was not obliged to undergo, to redeem us, who were obliged to suffer death, from servitude to the devil and death, by which I mean death both of the soul and of the body, temporary and eternal. Since He gave His Blood, which was sinless and therefore guiltless, as a ransom for us who were liable to punishment because of our sins, HE REDEEMED US FROM OUR GUILT. HE FORGAVE OUR SINS, TORE UP THE RECORD OF THEM ON THE CROSS AND DELIVERED US FROM THE DEVIL’S TYRANNY (cf. Colossians 2:14-15). The Resurrection of Christ is "the foundation and the crown of our Orthodox Christian faith." The saving fruits of the Resurrection of Christ are: (a) the victory over hell and death {b) the blessedness of the saints in heaven and the beginning of the existence of the Heavenly Church; and (c) the sending down of the Holy Spirit and the creation of the Church of Christ on earth."
A Godless society is a society plunged in eternal darkness. Our All-Merciful God has given mankind the freedom and choice to choose either Light or darkness. His Light is the Light of Life. Man was created by Him to inherit this Divine Light and live in God’s Life-giving Light for eternity. It is in the Kingdom of God where man finds true joy, fulfilment, and everlasting happiness. In darkness there is no joy, no hope, no fulfillment, no salvation, but eternal torment and suffering. Why would anyone desire darkness over the Light?
Our earthly life can be one of great joy and blessedness. Together as one people and by the grace of God we can make our world an earthly paradise. A world that enjoys peaceful coexistence, harmony and brotherly love. A world that is in constant communion with its Creator and is thankful for the countless blessings which He has bestowed upon us. A world which is aware of His Divine Presence and His unconditional agape. There are no wars, there is no hatred, there are no vices or wicked behavior. Is this not what Jesus has asked us to do? "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). There is no greater power than that of love. What is missing in a Godless world or society filled with sadness and despair is LOVE! Therefore the answer to the world’s problems is love of God and love for one another. As Saint Dorotheos of Gaza says, "the closer we are to God, the closer we are to one another."
"Grace to you, and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ."
___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 