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| Saint Sophrony the Athonite. |
Every international or class war is associated with
violence: "Strike the enemies." But Christ commands: "Love your
enemies" (Matt. 5:44). The latter does not deteriorate at all the Gospel
at the level of the fratricidal division of material goods. When bishops,
theologians and faithful Christians in general enter the ranks of militants,
they consider those who avoid participation in these kinds of activities as
petty and cowardly. The more dangerous the clash with the oppressors, the more
this humanitarian mission is considered as "martyrdom" for Christ.
Our evasion is dictated by the consciousness that any
change of status in social relations with a revolutionary, namely blackmailed,
manner will ultimately prove to replace one violence with another. The
historical experience demonstrates this in many cases. Already we have seen
during our life how the idea of justice inspired people to war against
despotism and exploitation, for freedom and full rights for all. However, the
revolutions ended or converted into terrorist regimes with the suppression of
huge masses of populations, depriving them of the most basic rights and the
like. As agitated as we are for the injustices of a certain system, its change
must be associated with long procedural processes of the moral standards of
people in general. We have no right to carry out acts of blackmail - even
towards extortioners - in the name of Christ. However, to rebuke injustice, in
a lively and intense way, to guard justice for all, we can do, when we see the
benefits from our reason.
The celebration of the Liturgy itself, which is a
sacrifice for the salvation of all people, is the highest of all participations
in the difficult ministry to humanity.
We are not allowed to deviate from our aim of
remaining in the light of the Lord's commandments.
If we become one of the dark forces fighting for
predominance over our brethren, we will overshadow the light which God brought
to earth. This crime is more damaging to us than any other.
The world does not need a "political
Church". The deprived character of the Church of Christ in the last
centuries led to the departure of a large number of faithful from it. We can
only recover the great brilliance of the Church with the extreme effort to live
as Christians, evangelically, without turning our attention towards how our
contemporaries will behave towards us. If Christians do not acquire the genuine
spiritual gifts, and primarily holiness, preaching with words will remain as
"a clanging symbol".
The complete turn towards the earth will not allow
people to see the Church in its authentic essence, as the Kingdom of Paternal
Love, as the place where the Holy Spirit shines, as the path where we assimilate
with the All-Merciful God-man Jesus Christ.
We must not fear the temporary distancing of people
from the Church. May the example of Christ, who was completely abandoned on the
day of His Golgotha, help strengthen us to walk in His footsteps. He stood
alone condemned by the Roman State of justice, by the Lawful Sanhedrin, and
even by the mob of people. Therefore, if everyone abandons us, even then it
would not be worth overstepping the true dimensions of the New Testament
revelation given to us with the Passion of Christ at the level of
"morals", the level of "atheistic humanism", the level of
"every manner and type of entertainment". The distance may even take
larger dimensions. None of us are excluded from standing firm in faith, to be
ready to resist the whole world.
Reference:
Elder
Sophrony: "The World Does Not Need a Political Church" | ORTHODOX
CHRISTIANITY THEN AND NOW (johnsanidopoulos.com)
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