What about people who are not Orthodox?
It is always a pity when people who claim to be Orthodox make judgements against fellow Christians. In the tradition of Orthodoxy, wherever we find beauty and truth, it is of God, and it is our calling, as Orthodox Christians, to rejoice when we see others have at least some portion of the Truth. Slamming others for what they do not have, does nothing to further their journey into Orthodoxy, and in fact may delay or sideline their journey towards the fullness of Truth.
There is the wonderful true story of Saint Silouan the Athonite who was traveling by train with an archimandrite, a zealot who was quick to correct others about the True Faith. Coming upon a group of traveling Roman Catholics, Saint Silouan’s traveling companion proceeded to tell them that they must become Orthodox because their faith was without grace. The saint asked him if it were indeed a fact that the Roman Catholics believed that Christ was true God, and that He was present in the Eucharist. The saint asked was it not true that these Catholics believed in the Trinity, and venerated the Holy Virgin and the relics of the saints. The archimandrite answered yes to all the questions. Saint Silouan responded that of all humility’s faiths we must know that we have perhaps more, but not to judge those who are not Orthodox. We must rejoice in the knowledge of what they do have. The saint told him that we should not be filled with such pride as to think we have the right to judge, correct or teach others.
This does not mean that we see the Church as divided, or that the Orthodox Church is anything less than the Church Christ founded. What it does mean is that we do not allow ourselves to think we have the right to correct or teach anyone. We must honor other peoples beliefs and not give in to the prideful stand that we have the right to teach or correct them. The truth that is found within Orthodoxy must be shared by living our faith in love, not in judging or correcting others. Truth, where ever it is found, is Orthodox Truth. If other religions embrace some of these truths that are Orthodox, we must rejoice and give thanks for what they do have.
People who love God and are trying to live holy lives pleasing to Him, according to the knowledge they have been given, are to be respected. They may not have the fullness of Apostolic Truth, but if they are believers in God and are trying to live a life pleasing to God, we must give thanks to Christ for what they do have. They have God as their Father, just as do we. They can have the Church as their Mother only if they see in us the difference Orthodoxy has made in our lives. Being arrogant in our evangelism does nothing to express the truth of Orthodoxy, and makes us no different than the pushy salesman at the door.
That arrogant archimandrite would better have shared the beauty of Orthodoxy had he embraced those Roman Catholics as fellow disciples of Christ. Then they would have seen Christ in him and known that Orthodoxy was indeed a faith centered in Christ. They would have known the truth of Orthodoxy by seeing in him, the love of Christ.
All this having been said, it is important that we remember Our Lord Himself has charged us to speak the truth. We must never fail to share the truth of our Orthodox faith for fear we might offend someone, for by “Speaking the truth in love, let us grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head (of the Church), even Christ (Ephesians 4:15).”
Love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Photo: A view of the Salish Sea, as seen from the north end of Vashon Island.
Tuesday June 19, 2018 / June 6, 2018
4th Week after Pentecost. Tone two.
Apostles’ (Peter & Paul) Fast. Food with Oil
Venerable Bessarion the Wonderworker of Egypt (466).
Venerable Hilarion the New, abbot of the Dalmatian Monastery (845).
Venerable Raphael confessor (1957).
St. Jonah, bishop of Perm (1470).
Venerable Paisius, abbot, of Uglich (1504).
Venerable Jonah, abbot of Klimetz (1534).
Virgin-martyrs Archelais, Thecla, and Susanna, beheaded at Salerno (293).
“Pimen” Icon of the Mother of God (was brought to Moscow from Constantinople in 1381 by Metropolitan Pimen).
Five virgins of Caesarea in Palestine: Martha, Mary, Cyria, Valeria, and Marcia (Greek).
Venerable Attalus the wonderworker (Greek).
Martyr Gelasius (Greek).
Venerable Photius, monk (Greek).
St. Justus, patriarch of Alexandria (130).
Martyrs Amandus, Amantius, Alexander, Lucius, Alexander, Alexandria, Donatus, and Peregrius at Noviodunum in Scythia Minor (320).
St. Claudius of Besancon (699) (Gaul).
St. Basil of Mangazea, Siberia (1602).
St. Jarlath of Cluain Fois (560) (Celtic & British).
The Scripture Readings
Romans 10:11-11:2
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Israel Rejects the Gospel
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who [a]preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:
“Their sound has gone out to all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says:
“I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation,
I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.”
20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:
“I was found by those who did not seek Me;
I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
21 But to Israel he says:
“All day long I have stretched out My hands
To a disobedient and contrary people.”
Israel’s Rejection Not Total
11 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying,
Matthew 11:16-20
16 “But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not lament.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
Woe to the Impenitent Cities
20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:
Thank you Fr. Abbot
Fr. Abbot,
I’m more often troubled (but also troubled by anyone “slamming others”) by Orthodox who appear to think that Orthodoxy is not much better or more valid than even a Pentecostal church perhaps. Especially as it relates to Protestants, being a former Reformed Protestant, I’m deeply concerned at this. The soteriology of the Orthodox Church is so far apart from the Reformer’s and modern Evangelicalism’s that the Gospel is actually something different altogether. I can’t help wonder if the average layperson may just see Orthodoxy and whatever other Christian expression as equally true or equally “trying to” get at the truth. We’re all just groping around trying to find God so why ever be dogmatic, dividing, about anything. Yet our liturgy says, “We have seen the True Light, Found the True Faith.” It seems quite minimal to apply “Finding the True Faith” to belief in the Trinity, relics, etc, as important and foundational as confessing the One God as Father, Son, and Spirit is.
A confessional Protestant (who affirms the Trinity) believes Jesus was incarnated to bear the wrath of God, to give imputed righteousness excluding works or effort from salvation altogether, that people are born (at least in Reformed Churches and many Evangelical Churches) totally depraved, that the moment a person embraces Christ intellectually and emotionally they are bound for heaven, that God predestines (at least in my experience) the non-elect for eternal punishment from eternity past, etc. I don’t judge them, I feel anxiety for their them, I feel sorrowful for them. Yet when I express this to other Orthodox I’m told, “Save yourself and everyone around you will be saved,” or St. Francis, “Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words” – which many contest he never said. I get what they’re saying, “worry about yourself.” I don’t doubt that worrying about myself will produce real fruit, but I do worry about myself, and others. It seems that people cannot imagine “words” as being loving while corrective in nature. I can imagine an Orthodox believer telling Paul, “Save yourself, worry about yourself” – not to compare myself with Paul by any means. I know many non-Orthodox who I have no doubt, will be saved. I’m not trying to “save” anyone, but to lead them into the Church where “working out our salvation” is normatively realized. As someone who is zealous for my other brothers who are still Reformed or Evangelical to come into Christ’s Church and be healed there, to make progress spiritually, in confession (which they’ve never gone to), to participate in Communing (which most have a Baptistic view of) – not because of judgement (I have no reason to judge them, they are innocent), I’m discouraged by the lack of concern many Orthodox have for them. I think in their attempt to not “judge others” (which again is not even happening in cases like mine), they have embraced a Mere Christianity that leaves Orthodoxy, the True Faith, level with just about everyone who affirms the Trinity, maybe more. There is a huge distinction to be made between someone who likes winning arguments, getting people to agree with them, and someone who truly believes and knows experientially, that without the reality of The Church you are stunted spiritually – more likely to be susceptible to Satan, less equipped to deal with temptation, less likely to know concretely forgiveness through confession and Communing (or far too confident to know forgiveness when it is likely not there – as in harboring sin but trusting Christ’s righteousness without repentance), a complete ignorance of the Saints, the Theotokos, and their role in our lives. I could go on and on. If an Orthodox Christian feels no sorrow or concern for people lacking these necessities, I have to ask myself what’s wrong with them. Do they not understand? Do they think Orthodoxy is just as valid or invalid as any other system of theistic belief? Do they think that if they became a Baptist or a Buddhist they would fare just as well? Are they basically Universalists who don’t think it’ll matter in the end anyway? I don’t know.
Honestly, sometimes I feel it is fear of man, of “looking judgmental” or the fact that they have been so secularized, that keeps many Orthodox from actively engaging, and loving many of Christ’s Sheep into the concrete reality of His Sheep “Pen” – or they just don’t know what they’d be missing without Mother Church because they haven’t learned to appreciate it.
As an aside, since it was quoted below your post, The “whoever believes in Him” removes the distinction between Jew and Gentile. The Gentiles are invited are no longer barred from believing Israel and will be saved together with them – the ingrafted branches to the existing root. People (I’m not assuming you did this Fr. Abbot) who use this verse to validate generic faith, making any faith in Christ almost synonymous, are missing his point. Both Gentiles and Jews would conform together as one, to the teaching of the Apostles – in the same Church together. This all implies the continuance of the exclusivity Israel had already known, but now inclusive of anyone with faith – no denial of admittance due to being Gentile and all that that meant. It says nothing of affirming the validity of various Churches or individuals beliefs about Christ.
Thank you for all your work!
Matt