So, after stooping down and writing with His finger in the sand, He rose and said: “He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone,” and then He stooped down again to write in the sand and the accusers “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one ” until there was no one left except Jesus and the woman. Jesus then raised Himself and asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She answered Him that no one did. He then said, “Neither do I condemn you: go and sin no more.” [John 8:3-11]

Whether the rush to accuse is more pronounced today than in Biblical times I do not know; I leave to others to judge. But, for some time now I have been struck with the media frenzy to accuse and to condemn a politician, a judge, a coach, a teacher, a priest or bishop, or others in positions of authority and trust for an infraction. There seems to be a holier than thou attitude at work. By accusing others are we trying to cover up our own faults as were the Biblical accusers of the adulterous woman? Why are we so quick to criticize? Why do we engage in what appears to be a blood sport to see someone hang? Are we no different than those living in medieval times who turned executions into festivals?

A disclaimer: I am not saying that those who have committed a crime should not be brought to justice. What I am saying is why do we have a penchant for stirring the pot and creating a media frenzy over someone’s human foibles? What business is it of ours? As John Donne reminded us a few centuries ago: “Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

We are all part of the human family or to use Christian language, we are all members of the Body of Christ. If one of us suffers all of us suffer. If one of us rejoices all of us rejoice. As a small splinter can cause pain and consternation to the entire body, so can one who sins cause consternation to the entire family of human beings. Whether we acknowledge it or not we are all connected to each other. Perhaps this understanding is best shown and expressed when a natural or man-made disaster occurs and we do our best to assist each other to survive.

Like in many things in life there is a Gospel teaching and a different worldly understanding. Biblical truths spell out that we should not judge others, lest we be judged [Matt 7:1] and that the measure that we use to judge will be measured back to us. “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye,” Jesus asks [Matt 7:3]?

Jesus is reminding His listeners that we all tend to judge others and not realize that we also suffer weaknesses. Remember our own weaknesses before we judge someone else is a consistent Biblical message. Why don’t we follow it?

Part of the answer I believe stems from our culture’s emphasis on winners and being number one. There is hardly an aspect of our society that is not fraught with this malady. Who won the World Series? Who won the Super Bowl? Who came in first in the cooking contest? Who possesses the most wealth? Who is the class valedictorian? Who scored the highest on the such and such exam? You fill in the “such and such” name.

It is hard not to be swept up in this competitive environment. It is all around us. It began when we entered school and perhaps even before. Soon after third grade we get graded as either one of the smart ones or one of the dumb ones; either blue birds or red birds. None of these “tests” account for differences in child development. Child psychologists now know that the human brain develops at different rates for different children. To test a child in an area where his or her brain has not yet fully developed is like testing a Chinese speaker in a language he does not understand. It is unfair. Yet, we continue to rely on standardized tests in K through 12 to distinguish and discriminate among children. Why do we continue to ignore scientific evidence coming from research in child development? Maybe it is because we like to discriminate as our culture insists.

We all suffer from this tendency to be number one or to associate with those who are number one in worldly terms. We want to be first or to associate with those who are first in worldly terms. Why do you suppose that is? Because the world is constantly looking for ways to divide us. Who is the great divider? The Devil, of course. His name is diabolus, meaning divider. “Diaboulos” is opposite” symbolus,” which means bringing together as in symbiotic relationships. Keeping us divided keeps us from God who sent His only begotten Son to reconcile us to each other and to Him. The Gospel message is of love; not divisiveness.

We need to keep this in mind as we look out over the cultural landscape, and compare it to the Christian landscape. Did not Christ Himself warn us: “many who are first will be last, and the last first [Matt 19:30].”

We need to ask ourselves what is the human necessity to judge and to condemn? Is it because we have something to hide, and want to cover our own misdeeds?

I find it instructive that those who rail against a sin in someone else tend to be practitioners of the same vice. Remember the televangelists whose sexual indiscretions unseated them or the Southern Senator who fought civil rights legislation, but we learned after his death that he had fathered a biracial daughter that he supported financially?

Shakespeare understood this human tendency when he declared in Hamlet, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Act III, Scene 2. Those who criticize the most, who judge the most, who condemn the most are protesting “too much, methinks.”

How are we to think and act regarding competition, criticizing, and judging? We can perhaps gain something from Moses the Black, a fourth century saint. Moses, a very big man, became leader of a group of robbers who terrorized the Nile Valley. He was also known as a murderer, and his band was feared. One day he came across a monastery in the Egyptian desert and met a monk who was not afraid of him. Moses was so intrigued with this monk that he asked about his life and becoming convinced that there was value in a life of prayer, he abandoned his wayward ways and entered the monastery.

He became a faithful monk living a quiet, peaceful, and prayerful life. His transformation was so complete that he gained the confidence of the other monks who turned to him for advice and counsel. His advice was sought when a brother monk committed a sin and a council was called to determine the correct penance. Moses refused to attend. He was entreated and so agreed to go to the meeting, only he carried a basket filled with sand and slung it over his shoulder. As he walked the sand fell out of the basket so when he arrived at the meeting the other monks asked him why he was carrying this leaky basket. He replied, “My sins run out behind me and I do not see them, but today I am coming to judge the errors of another.” On hearing this, the assembled brothers forgave the erring monk.

We should take a lesson from St Moses the Black which is also the teaching of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ and that is to love our enemies and forgive each other. More can be gained for the entire Body of Christ through these thoughts and actions than criticism, judgment, and condemnation.

How to reach this state of bliss? Ceaseless prayer!

What is prayer? To most people prayer is a duty, a chore, a penance. Most people pray when things go bump in the night or they encounter a difficult situation – a health problem, a financial setback, a marital downturn, or a frightening experience; or, when they want something beyond reach like winning the lottery. Moreover, prayer to them is always formal: a set time each day at a certain religious place like a church or their home icon corner.

All of the above are examples of prayer, but they are other more positive ones.

Prayer is communion with God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Any time, any place!

Prayer takes many forms and that is why it needs to be done ceaselessly; i.e., at all times. Starting when we wake in the morning we thank God for being alive another day and ask His blessings on our thoughts and actions for the day. We again bring God into our lives as we begin a task and when we finish it whatever it may be: making breakfast, walking or driving to work or school, attending class or a meeting, or fabricating something with our hands; a sweater, a poem, a chair or table, a garden; or when we are in awe of the natural world around us, the flowers, the trees, the birds, the sunset, the moon and stars. We also thank God for all our blessings and our talents. We praise Him for His mighty works. We glorify Him for His everlasting love for us. We remember Him when we retire for the night asking Him to watch over us and give us peaceful sleep.

It is good to give praise unto the Lord, and to chant unto thy name, O most High

            To proclaim in the morning Thy mercy, and Thy truth by night. Ps 92:1-2

Yet, we also can be angry at God for we do not live in a paradise. We live in this world and in this sinful and adulterous world things go wrong. We see injustice, we experience pain, and we notice exploitation of the rich and powerful against the poor and weak. Further, we know we are weak when we experience lust, or envy, or jealousy, or give into sinful thoughts and actions or addictions. There is, unfortunately, a less desirable and negative side to our days and lives: set-backs and losses that bring out our lesser natures; anger and despondency, for example. But, God is there with us when we suffer – for did He not promise us that He would be with us “even to the end of the age?” [Matt 28:20] At another time He also promised: “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” [John 14:18] Do we not pray to the Holy Spirit “who is in all places and fills all things” thus acknowledging that He surrounds us?

It is okay to rail at God because this is another way to communicate with Him. Did not the Psalmist cry out:

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

How long will You hide Your face from me?

Christmas time reminds us of God’s gift, and to celebrate this glorious event we gather with family and friends to share time and meals, thoughts and feelings, and recent happy events and troubles; and most importantly we gather to worship God  to thank God for the gift of His Son.

In the Divine Liturgy, we celebrate the joy of His Resurrection. But, before we celebrate the Resurrection, we suffer the Crucifixion, and before the Crucifixion we rejoice at His Baptism, and before that His Nativity. His Birth starts the salvation cycle of His saving Grace. Yes, we are joyous and merry at Christmas time even though we will wind the rocky road to the Resurrection.

The best way to celebrate with family and friends is to be grounded in prayer and worship; otherwise our celebration can lead us astray into depending or seeking after joy in material things. What kind of gifts shall we give? The answer, of course, is ourselves and the good news of the gospel.

Sharing time and meals is the best gift to exchange because we share with each other our hearts, we replenish our souls. Having a heart-to-heart with a friend or relative will be remembered for a long time, even to our dying day, because we bonded with each other, we gained from each other, we grew closer to each other by removing barriers or misunderstandings. Material things break, or rust, or deteriorate, or go out of style, but a heart-to- heart conversation lasts a lifetime.

Oh, it is okay to give and to exchange gifts, but let us not get carried away. Let us not think the material things will fulfill our souls or bring us happiness for more than a day or two; and let us not go into hock to buy all those “great” bargains to regret it when the credit card statements come in January. Do you remember the material gift you gave or received last Christmas or the ones from three or more years ago? But,  I am certain you do remember a satisfying conversation, a forthright opening up, a friendly exchange of dreams, ideas, and even disappointments.

Pity the person who is all alone on Christmas Day. Even the first family of Mary and Joseph were joined by angels, shepherds, sheep, an ox, and an ass. They were not alone even if there was no room in the Inn. We need each other as much as we need God in our lives.

Some of you, like me, are getting to the point in life where material gifts are nice but either useless or superfluous. How many more of this and that do we need? I remember asking my parents what they wanted for Christmas and they said “nothing,” just come and visit us with your wife and children. At the time I could not understand or appreciate this thinking. Now I can. Another something or other won’t fill our empty hearts as a hug and kiss will, or a good conversation to grow closer to break down walls or remove separation. To enjoy each other’s company, to share a meal, is to get refreshed and renewed, is to become whole.

As much as we look forward to greeting and spending time with our children, our heavenly Father looks forward and is pleased when we spend time with Him. Just as much as we love our children and miss them so does our heavenly Father love us and miss us. Just as much as we long to hear from our children our heavenly Father wants to hear from us. Just as we gave life to our children with His help, He gave life to us in this world, and if we are faithful eternal life in the next world as well.

Christmas is a time to thank God for His love for us in sending His Son to dwell among us, and to return this love by loving Him back with our whole soul, our whole mind, our whole strength and our neighbor as ourselves. It is a time to renew our faithfulness to God, to walk humbly with Him, to see eye to eye with Him, to keep His commandments, and to praise, bless, and glorify Him. Christmas is a time to be merry by understanding what really cosmic event we are celebrating – God entering into His Creation to dwell among us. It is like getting a personal visit from a dignitary like a king or queen, or president, or a sports star, or a rock star, or other celebrity but it is more awesome because He created and sustains us. He will come to our aid and He will judge us at the end of time. He is not your ordinary bear!

So, this Christmas let us celebrate God’s gift to us of His Son, thank Him for His love and mercy, and enter into a more intimate relationship with Him just as we enter a more intimate relationship with our parents and our children.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

A Merry and Joyous Christmas to one and all!

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the    door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Rev 3:21

In a famous painting of Christ, the artist has Jesus knocking at a solid closed wooden door that is in a stone building waiting patiently for the person inside to open it. What is interesting about the painting is that there is no knob on Jesus’ side of the door. He cannot open it. He merely knocks and waits. Should we open the door, then He is there to greet us and to comfort us.

After His crucifixion when the Apostles were in hiding frightened thinking that the authorities would be coming next for them, Christ appeared to them. His first words to them were, “Peace be unto you!” He did not chastise them for abandoning him. He did not remind them that He had told them that He would die and rise in three days. He did not say, “I told you so.” He comforted them. He gave them His peace.

Christ comes to us all the time. He is near us all the time. We merely have to recognize that reality and turn our hurts, snubs, and worries over to him. “Come to me all who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “Take my yoke for it is light.”

We all know Christ’s promises, and yet we fail to take Him at His word. Why? What are the impediments keeping us from His Love and Grace?

Perhaps, the most obvious is our ego. We think we can handle things on our own. More than that, we are constantly reminded in advertisements and television shows, radio talk shows, and the web that we should be in charge of our lives and always look out for number one. If we think we can do everything then we do not need God. To ask God for His assistance requires our acknowledging we cannot do it alone, but to obtain this acknowledgement we need to humble ourselves. Humbleness is not a prized commodity in our world, so it is difficult to know how to be humble. Something we must learn. Think of it this way: Is the difficulty I am facing sent by God to humble me? By trying to deal with the difficulty ourselves we refuse to turn to God.

Another impediment derives from our egos, and that is our hurts, grudges, and feuds. How many of us are at odds with someone? Or, go out or our way to avoid someone? Or, remember a slight or a snub? Or, do not speak to someone? Remembering hurts, grudges, and feuds requires a great deal of energy on our part and can lead to high blood pressure, headaches, and other medical problems. We do not have peace within us as we are constantly keeping the grudge alive. It festers within us, many times making us angry as we recall with total justification how our pride was hurt by the other person. And, we cannot let go of these hurts and snubs for we are justified in thinking them. Our lives are defined by these hurts and grudges. We become the hurt.

Another impediment to our answering Christ’s knocking at the door of our hearts is our worries. We worry about our children, or our jobs, or the direction in which our country is going, and we stew about it. But, ask yourself does worry ever solve any problem? Not really. Action solves problems, but there are some problems that defy resolution. What is that famous Serenity prayer of Reinhold Neibuhr

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next. Amen.

The Orthodox Church provides a number of “tools” to deal with life including repentance, forgiveness, and confession.

As Niebuhr understoos: I trust that God will make all things right if only I surrender to His will. St. Paul said it best in reminding the Galatians (Gal 5:13-26) that hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath and the like are works of the flesh, and that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. St. Paul goes on to say that those who belong to Christ have crucified their passions and desires of the flesh, and are now open to God’s love and thus ready to possess the fruit of the Spirit.

The most difficult lesson we need to learn as followers of Christ is that we are not in charge, not in control – Christ is! To achieve this state of learning requires humility, and if we are to obtain humility we must forgive others their trespasses. Forgiveness is the fruit of humbleness. Moreover, if we have offended someone, then we need to repent and to ask his or her forgiveness.

Instead of nursing each slight or offense, let us begin to think of them as opportunities to ask God to intervene. One cannot obtain peace unless one abandons grudges and hurts.

Wonderful news’  Isn’t it? Yes, it is! And, that is why we cry joyfully: Christ is Risen’ Truly, He is Risen’

But, unfortunately some parishioners are depressed, are despondent, become addicted to alcohol or drugs or sex or gambling and seem  to suffer for years. Moreover, they are constantly complaining about their suffering. Christ suffered for us. His suffering was truly agonizing. We no longer have to suffer. Rather, we need to turn our suffering over to Him. “Come  to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest [Matt 11:28].”The Paschal message is JOY, not depression, not addiction, not sadness. Be joyful and rejoice, and again I say rejoice, St Paul reminds  the Philippians [4:4] even in the face of his own hunger; beatings, ship wrecks. and thorn in his side.