Romans 2:25 - 29

Romans 2:25-26
For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?

Circumcision is the sign of the covenant (and, along with the Law that laid out the covenant, was a source of boasting). Yet St. Paul aptly points out that sin, since it still supresses knowledge of the Truth (communion with Christ), removes one from the covenant. Circumcision, in the face of sin (breaking the Law) becomes uncircumcision. He uses this to argue the converse: would not then someone who keeps the Law be counted as a member of the covenant, even if they don't have some of the outward signs of the Law?

We can apply this easily enough to Christianity. We, too, have a covenant (the Gospels) and a sign of this covenant (baptism). We, too, are faced with the stark reality that membership in the covenant does not guarantee us justification. Rather, we must repent of our sins. And indeed, if we see another who does something righteous, then we know we have seen a miracle of God and, in this righteous act, that person is joined with the God who IS Righteousness. If the covenant is to be communion with God, then that person's righteousness has become "baptism" for them, even as, by sin, our baptism becomes "unbaptism" (and we go to confession to repent).

In other words, we should avoid judging others and celebrate righteousness (love) wherever we find it. Instead of feeling threatened by other religions and retreating into shallow arguments or accusations of their paganism, we should honor the righteousness they do produce while remaining faithful to what we find disagreeable in them. The asceticism of Buddhism is something we could all do to imitate. We can do so while still respecting that, ultimately, we find disagreement with concepts like reincarnation, monism, and the absence of God in Buddhist thought.

Just as importantly, we must be sober with regards to ourselves and the sin in our lives. At any point if I call myself "in" and others "out" I've probably got it backwards. Outwards signs (which are so easy to latch on to, being easy to see and comprehend) like baptism or even the Protestant "sinner's prayer" are merely a beginning. That isn't to undermine the importance of baptism or those first moments of repentance and turning to God. The beginning is a miracle and ought to be celebrated, but it doesn't give us a claim on God - as if He now owed us salvation in some way. Nor should it be a tool for judgment - as if we could tell who has and has not made a beginning based on something visible to our limited and sinful eye.

Romans 2:27-29
And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the Law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the Law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumsision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly (and circumcision is that of the heart; in the Spirit, not in the letter) whose praise is not from men but from God.

A few interesting things to note here: the saints will judge the world alongside Christ. Is this because the saints (true Christians) will have power separate from Christ with which they judge? Far from it. Rather, true Christians (true Jews) will be one with Christ. The judgment of God doesn't proceed from wrath or any kind of human judgment. It is, rather, the clear and present truth regarding someone's life - did they know God and does God know them? To what degree this will be required of us I cannot pretend to know, but as to whether or not we have lived by faith our own thoughts accuse us easily enough. If even our sinful thoughts can tell us we are absent from God, how much more aware of our illness would someone be if they weren't absent from God! The saints, being continously in the presence of God (as we ought all to be) will therefore judge us because Christ will be judging us through them.

Whether or not they were circumcised has nothing to do with it. "Jewishness" isn't a culture (a set of practices and norms like the ceremonial Law), rather, Jewishness is circumcision of the heart: the cutting away of our selfishness (like the cutting away of useless foreskin) so that we may be one with God through Christ. Circumcision is of the heart: the intuitive-mind by which we are to know God. IF our heart remains untouched then what has been accomplished? Heart here doesn't mean emotions - those happen in our brains and are based on sensory input like any other brain response. The nous is a spiritual matter. If it is still dead then we are dead with it. If it lives because that which kills it (unrighteousness) is removed, then we live with Christ.

Forgive me,
Macarius

Romans 2:12, 16-24

Romans 2:12, 16
For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (...) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

For simplicity and context I've cut the long paranthetical statement St. Paul makes and which we explored last time. Here he completes His thoughts on the nature of judgment, having established thoroughly the following basic teachings:

1. God's salvation is for the Jew and also for the Greek (Rom 1:16)
2. Salvation is "living by faith," or acting according to faith (Rom 1:17)
3. Unrighteousness destroys our ability to know God, and thus we experience God's absence (His wrath) and fall further into unrighteousness, assuming God isn't there or replacing Him with the material. This is the plight of the Gentiles, and it makes them "deserving" of death since. (Rom 1:18 - 32)
4. This unrighteous behavior endangers not only the Gentile, but the Jew as well (since it is unrighteousness, in contrast to living by faith, which removes us from God's presence) - it is therefore foolish to judge others since this unrighteous act of judgment only further separates us from God (Rom 2:1-5)
5. There is no partiality with God - whether Jew or Greek we will be judged for what we DO (whether we live unrighteously and destroy the Truth or act according to faith). It is plausible that a non-Jew could act justly, having the Truth in their "nous" (intuition-heart-mind), just like a Jew having the Law can still sin. (Rom 2:6-15)
6. This judgment is according to Christ - for it is Christ's gospel by which we are saved (Rom 1:16, 2:16).

As stated previously, the basic premise of Romans is that Jews and Greeks are equally members of the Church, since both are equally subject to sin or righteousness, and we are judged based on our sinfulness or righteousness (judged for our deeds).

Romans 2:17 - 20

Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the Law and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the Law.

Here St. Paul summarizes one of the arguments forwarded by the Judaizers (as he will do throughout Romans).

The boast of the Jew is the Law: the Covenant with God and God's instructions for Jewish ethical and ritual actions (an important distinction). Since the Law, being God's Word, contains Truth, the Jew teaches from it as a leader of the blind. And indeed, the Law DOES inform us about God, and DOES teach us what is right and what is wrong. It is indeed the form of knowledge.

Yet that is the key word: form. True knowledge, in the Biblical sense, is not cognitive-brain knowledge - remember that limiting our experience of Truth to the physical (cognitive) brain is precisely the idolatry which the Gentiles fell into because of sin. Rather, knowledge is communion. Knowledge means complete intermingling - like the knowledge a husband has for his wife or vice-versa. Knowledge has a deep sense of holistic (Catholic) fullness. Merely asserting a doctrine is not knowledge. One can recite good ethical principles, but to know them one must do them. One can recite good doctrines regarding God, but to KNOW God is an entirely different thing.

Indeed, this was the problem with the way the Law was used. Mistaking the Law (a cognitive list of right and wrong) with living by faith (that is to say, acting righteously because one knows God) fundamentally damaged the spiritual wellbeing of the Jews. This is an easy mistake for Christians to fall into as well. How often do we mistake the Creed for knowledge? Or the Bible? Or ANY doctrine? Any source of human wisdom? There is a big difference between being able to recite all the right answers and LIVING the right answer - KNOWING the right answers - COMMUNING with THE "right answer" (the Truth) who is Christ our Lord. We can read all the right books by the right Orthodox authors, we can hear every homily and memorize the Scriptures, and have a working understanding of ancient Greek and the patristic saints. We can own a thousand icons and light a thousand candles and, ultimately, it means nothing.

We are not guides to the blind unless we have the knowledge of God. First we must judge ourselves, and realize that we are lacking, and then, once we are empties of ourselves we may be filled by God and, by being filled by God (the knowledge of God), HE may USE us to guide others. But if at any point WE are the guide, we have fallen into pride and have mistaken our egotistical cognitive-self for "truth" - we have become an idol, setting up for ourselves a nice and comprehensible God whom we "share" with others. This kind of shallow religion, which is more than obvious to those outside of it, lacks the basic humility of Christ, who, having done more miralces in a moment then "we" will EVER do, told those whom He healed to say NOTHING about Him. His divine silence - His humility - should remind us how empty our prideful words are.

This does not mean, as St. Paul will say later, that we let go of the Truth handed to us. The doctrines are important. They ground us in reality and fence us from heresy - necessary safeguards indeed. You'll notice the Law is in the Christian Bible. The Truth IS handed on, but we should never mistake our role within it. We are not experts. We do not have knowledge. We can but parrot others until we are sanctified. This parroting is "tradition" (handing-on), but it must be done with the utmost humility. This is why I conclude posts with "Forgive me." I ask your forgiveness for my own pride, and I pray that this is a faithful rendition of the Holy Tradition which contains within it the path to True knowledge of God. It is my prayer that I NEVER mistake a teaching for knowledge.

Romans 2:21 - 24

You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the Law, do you dishonor God through breaking the Law? For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you" as it is writen.

While one may be able to walk through the first few rhetorical questions, the last one - do you who boast in the law break the law? - is a tough one to avoid. We all sin. Or rather, I know that I do. Perhaps God has already granted you sanctification, in which case I thank Him for that. The world needs more sanctified people. I myself am nowhere near it, and, like much of Romans, these are sobering thoughts. We often shout our views from rooftops, so to speak, because of our LOVE for God - yet our very hypocrisy results in His being blasphemed. How often have we heard in this culture something like this: "I could never be a Christian; they're such hypocrites! They preach all this so-called morality and not one of them follows it."

Let us be the FIRST to own up to our own sins. It is one of the greatest untapped Truths of Christianity. We so often try to "fake" that we're "all better now" because of our conversion to Christianity when, inside, we know our sins. How refreshing would it be to let that go, to be REAL! This is a major purpose of confession, at least to a point: by vocalizing our sins, we "real-ize" them (make them real to ourselves) and prevent the self-delusion which leads to hypocrisy.

It is also why it is critical that we not correct one another, but leave correction to those whom God has ordained to the task. If a woman wears pants in Church, it is not the place of other women to scold her and tell her to wear a skirt. If a man wears short sleaves, we should tolerate him and trust that it is between him, God, and whomever else God appoints over him. If a kid cries in Church, do we become annoyed? Remember that we sound just as bothersome before the saints and angels in their eternal worship before God, being mere children to them, yet we are welcomed with love and encouraged to join in. If we see people living a life we consider immoral, do we let judgment enter our heart? Do we judge drunkards and homosexuals? Do we judge prostitutes and pornographers and liers and corrupt politicians? ARE WE BETTER?

If the MIRACLE of God's Holy Tradition becomes mistaken for KNOWING GOD then we will fall into pride and hypocrisy. We should judge ourselves first, and others never. God will judge them. Our task is to love. YES - we have a responsibility to stay obedient to the teachings of the Church and to hold fast to them, as they are a precious gift; so we must seek to understand them. But we must seek to LIVE them. And until we do, and do so sufficiently, we have no business scolding another.

A story from the Desert Fathers teaches this principle effectively, and I'll conclude this post with it:

"A brother in Scetis committed a fault. A council was called to which abba Moses was invited, but he refused to go to it. Then the priest sent someone to him, saying, “Come, for everyone is waiting for you.” So he got up and went. He took a leaking jug and filled it with water and carried it with him. The others came out to meet him and said, “What is this, father?” The old man said to them, “My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I am coming to judge the errors of another.” When they heard that, they said no more to the brother but forgave him."

Forgive me,

Macarius

Romans 2:11 - 15

Hello!

I've been a bit under the weather for the last week or so - hence no posts. I'm curious if anyone is actually reading this; I'll probably keep writing just because I find it relaxing in an odd way, but if you're reading this, say 'hi' in the comments to me. No need for a RL name, but just a way for me to gauge if I'm essentially just talking to myself... :-D

Romans 2:11 - 15
For there is no partiality with God. For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law unto themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them).

We pick up where we left off. We are considering how God judges Jew and Greek (for the whole text of Romans is about the unity of the Church and the universality of the Faith). Notice, for future referance, that "justification" is defined for us here. "Not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified." It is doing the law - that is to say it is living (acting) by faith - which justifies us. Justification is to "be made just." It is not "to be excused from being unjust" but rather it is a positive transformation from one who acts unjustly to one who acts justly. By this context, it cannot be a legal or juridicial category (i.e. one is unjustified if found guilty of sin or justified if found to be innocent, regardless of one's actual conduct). Rather, it is an ontological category. To be just is to think just, act just, live just. It is to live by faith. And remember the preceeding passage. We are judged according to our deeds.

We thus have two categories of people (so to speak; people probably fall on a range within this spectrum): the unrighteous who have killed their "nous" (intuitive-heart-mind) and thus cannot be justified (be made just) since they are without the light of God that justifies us, and the righteous (i.e. Abraham) who "live by faith" - that is those whose nous is repaired by God and who can thus, knowing (in an intimate union) the Truth (who is Christ) live by faith and act with Christ's justice - those who are justified.

It doesn't matter if a person has heard of or follows Judaic cultural norms (the Law). These things are good for the Jew - they teach us effectively of just how sinful we are and prepare us for Christ - but they are not the sum total of our salvation. If a Gentile, by some miracle (and by what other means are we justified?) manages to follow some portion of the "law" (speaking now of what is ethically right and ethically wrong), then that Gentile is, according to that law, justified.

There can be NO Truth apart from God, who IS the Truth. There can be nothing good apart from God, who IS goodness itself. There can be NO light except by God. Whenever we see someone doing good, be they a Buddhist or an Atheist or a Christian or a Jew or ANYONE we have seen a miracle of God. These are the do-ers of the law. They will be justified, for in so much as God is able to act in them and through them they are brought into union with God, and in so much as (that is, to what degree) that happens, their inner light is repaired - the Truth is made manifest, even if only a little bit.

Thus, as St. Paul said in the earlier passage, who are we to judge another? We cannot possibly know what light God has given to them, nor what things the world has done to steal it from them, nor what things they may have done themselves to nurture or kill that light. We can NEVER know the true nature of another except by mystical union to one another through union with Christ, and then it is not really US knowing them but rather CHRIST knowing them THROUGH us, and few and far between are those of us for whom this kind of sainthood will become a reality.

We cannot judge based on easy categories like "Christian" or "Jew" because God has come to save ALL people and, in love, reaches out continually to ALL people - to the Christian first and also to the Pagan (to paraphrase St. Paul's argument here).

And what is meant of the Gentile who does these things by nature? That nature is the image of God which is universal to all humanity and which this passage affirms survives despite the inheritence of death from the original sin. We are not born to sin. We are not born guilty. We are not born unrighteous. We each, on our own, kill the light of God in us. Though I cannot judge another, I can easily judge myself. Is the light of God present in me? Do I know it with an unsurpassing intimacy? Certainly I do not. Thus I know that I am not yet justified. As St.Paul says, I am judged by my own thoughts. My own personal realities accuse me of the fact which I spend a lot of time trying to ignore: I do not know God.

YET I am being justified, by the grace of God. When I look at the light of the saints, and the love of God that shines through them, I find myself sorely lacking. Yet they too were once like me - sinners seeking to repent. And if God can, through His Holy Spirit, bring them into that degree of unity with Him - into that light - then I have unlimited hope. If God can make even one who has never HEARD the law, HEARD the Gospel, know and follow the light, then I have hope He can save even me.

Simultaneously, this passage is an exhortation for us NEVER to judge and ALWAYS to hope. It is a reminder of God's reach (which far extends our own) and our own failures. It's one of my favorites in the Scriptures, and it humbles me (to what extent I let it) every time I read it.

Forgive me,
Macarius

Romans 1:26 - 2:11

Romans 1:26 - 27
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of women, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

As I wrote at length about homosexuality in a previous post, I'll be brief on this. Homosexual union robs marriage of the iconic husband-wife = Christ-Church image. The Church, since its sacraments are all icons (giving windows into heaven and making the Kingdom manifest on earth) cannot marry people of the same gender. Since sex outside of marriage is a passion, it is a sin.

In keeping with the theme of the previous passage, though, this is less about homosexuality than it is about the results and consequences of a damaged nous-heart-intuition. Sin, having blackened our internal ability to know God, leaves us with only our physical senses and our responses to those senses (thoughts and emotions). Given this, it makes perfect sense why something like homosexuality would be appealing and appear ethical. There are no clear victims (since we can only evaluate victimhood in terms of sense-input, thoughts, or emotion). In fact, both consenting adults gain much in the way of positive emotions (feeling loved, pleasure, etc) - just like a heterosexual relationship (which, aside from the child bearing capabilities, isn't all that different from a sensory-input level).

Typically, when the Bible says "God gave them up" it means "God stopped holding them back." Specifically, God allowed their sin to do its damage to their heart (and this reveals what may be known of God - that He is not present in sin). This damage limited their (our) observations to the subjective ones of our senses, and this, in turn, makes it nearly impossible to deny temptations like idolatry or pleasure-seeking. Indeed, it makes tempting all things that are harmful to us spiritually, though often useful to us if we limit ourselves to a materialistic perspective, as St. Paul continues:

Romans 1:28 - 32
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

This should sound familiar to any student of history. We should never let it be forgotten that the Church has as often been filled by these things as have human institutions of all sorts. In so much as we are an institution of people on earth, and people are victims of these temptations, we will see them in the Church. But we must never allow that to discourage us; the only way a Christian fights evil is to continue hope. Hope - optimistic expectation of God's salvation - is the only lense through which we can see the world in all its sin, call it out as such, and continue to refuse to respond to that evil with more evil.

We are as much victims of sin as we are perpetrators of it. How often does one sin cause another? If a person cuts me off on the road, and I get angry, and that anger sours my attitude and prevents me from showing kindness to someone selling me coffee, and that person in turn is upset by my rudeness and takes that emotional stress home... you get the idea. Imagine all the murder, all the rape, all the betrayal, all the lies, all the selfishness in the world; imagine how much of it is caused by pain those same people experienced. How much of it is sin causing sin? How else can we fight this except by hope? How else can we fight this except by, having sin done to us, we refuse in any way to let sin be our response? That is the only way the cycle can be broken.

The key verse of the above passage is "those who practice such things are deserving of death." Not only does sin darken our heart-intuition, deadening our ability to percieve and know God, but it also, by removing us from the source of life (God), makes us subject to death. The moment we sin we are deserving of death - not because of some legal code written into the universe (like a cosmic speeding ticket), but because when we sin we change the ontological condition of our very self from "in communion with Life" to "out of communion with Life." God is still Life. God is still Love. It is WE who change. It is WE, who by leaving God, earn our own deaths and the loneliness of eternal spiritual isolation which follows and is called the "2nd death."

Romans 2:1 - 3
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. But we know the judgment of God is according to Truth against those who practice such things. And od you think this O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Now St. Paul begins to tie this back into the theme of Romans. The sinfulness of the pagans (which is where he started this), is not something the Jews can judge, for the Jews (just like the Church through history) are full of this same sinfulness. It is the blind mocking the blind. Membership in a group does not make one holy. Sin will kill us, regardless of who we are. Indeed, if we judge another, we double our sin, for by doing this we not only have committed the same sins as them, but we have added another by our judgmentalism. We have enough sin in ourselves to concern us for a lifetime - that should be our attention.

Furthermore, we cannot even judge others accurately. Notice St. Paul says that God's judgment is according to truth. We don't have the truth!! If we are in our sins, our ability to know God is dead and we have nothing on which to judge except our subjective senses and thoughts. These limited and finite tools cannot EVER know the heart of another human being - we can never know their history, their pain, the reasons for their actions. It is impossible. Perhaps if we knew she had been raped, we'd have been less judgmental of the girl who was rude to us at the store. Perhaps if we knew his wife had left him, we'd not have sworn at the man who cut us off on the highway. Perhaps if we knew he had been neglected as a child, or worse abused, we'd have forgiven (and not judged), the friend who just couldn't open up to us or who couldn't be emotionally available in our time of need. Sin breeds sin, and our culture is saturated in it. We contribute to that culture, and we are victims of it. How dare we judge so complex a thing! We have no grounds on which to do so. What we DO know is our own contributions to that culture. What we can judge is what we chose and don't chose - we know our own decisions. So in ourselves, we are aware of what we ought to do, and in so much as we don't we know what we are accountable for.

How stupid a thing it is, then, for us to judge others (for which we have no cause and which further harms us spiritually) and yet not ourselves.

Romans 2:4 - 11
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds": eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness - indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.

This is the thesis of Romans. There is no partiality with God. Judgment is not according to one's ethnicity, nor (more relevant to us) one's membership in a group (i.e. the Church, or "Christians"). Rather, one is saved by being holy. It is according to our deeds that we are judged. And how else could it be? If sin destroys our ability to percieve and know the presence and love of God, and this spiritual isolation (made eternal in death) is hell, how can we be called saved unless that intuition of our heart is restored? Sin must be removed - it must be killed. This doesn't mean that we earn salvation (neither St. Paul nor I have said the means by which this healing occurs) - but we should recognize what St. Paul does say here: God will judge us for our deeds.

In case there isn't clarity on this, St. Paul goes on to say how we will be judged for our deeds. Those who by patient continuance seek for glory, honor and immortality... Patience and seeking. We are not told to achieve perfection (though by the grace of God such a thing is possible, for all things are possible with God and we should never lose hope), but rather to be patient and to seek. Our will must cooperate with the grace of God. We must hope. We must have faith. We must seek. We must change. And this change comes from the good will of God through that hope and that faith and that patience and that seeking. This is why, as is said over and over again in Revelations and elsewhere in the Scriptures, "Those who endure to the end shall be saved." God is faithful. It is only if we remove ourselves from God that we, by our unfaithfulness, endanger our souls.

And what is this goodness of God that calls us to repentance? It is precisely HIS patience and love. We ought to die as soon as we sin, but God immediately shows His mercy and grace by granting us continuing life that we may repent. Even in this - even before discussing how it is Christ who saves us - we see that we cannot save ourselves. We cannot merit salvation because we cannot even merit the continuation of our lives by which we repent and are saved. That is a gift of God and a gift of His mercy. Therefore every moment of every day it is appropriate for us to pray "Lord, have mercy." As often as we pray that - as fast as we spit it out - God grants us mercy even faster. His mercy is in the moments between our breaths - in the smallest unit of time and in between the smallest units of time. Creation itself is the spontaneous gift of God's continuing creative act. We have nothing apart from God. To pray "Lord, have mercy" (meaning both Lord, forgive me and Lord, have compassion) - this is the least we can do!

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

In Christ,
Macarius

Romans 1:18 - 25

Romans 1:18 - 19
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

Here faith is contrasted with unrighteousness. Notice faith is not contrasted with mere unbelief but rather by unrighteousness which leads to unbelief, just as righteousness (living by faith) leads to knowledge. By what means has the knowledge of God been shown to them? By the fruits of their own unrighteousness. The Truth, which is Christ, is suppressed by their unrighteousness - that is to say that one will never find God in unrighteousness. This tells us where God IS: in righteousness. Faith in God will, then, lead us to righteousness.

The problem - the blindness - of the unrighteous is that so often they (we) do not EXPECT to find God. We assume that the deep, existential loneliness of our existence - our spiritual deadness and isolation - is the norm. We assume that we were merely meant to know of God through our physical senses, rational intellect, and emotions. There is a deeper knowledge of God, though - an "intuitive" and direct knowing of God that surpasses the subjectivity of the human condition and experiences God in the heart, directly and without filter. Remember that the Kingdom of God is within you! You are God's image and likeness, and are made to know God on an intimiate and unitive level. If you DON'T then what can be known of God is revealed in our unrighteousness, for the very experience of the absence of God (which is His wrath) tells us that we must repent and begin to "live by faith."

Romans 1:20 - 21
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because although they knew God they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Not only are we to know God intuitively, but there is a degree to which God is evident in His creation. It may be that we are raised in a culture which is ignorant of God - indeed, we are raised in such a culture - but this inheritence of ignorance and sin is insufficient to absolve us of guilt for that sin. We are responsible for our own sins, for even though we are victims of the culture around us, we also contribute to and perpetuate that culture by our own sins. I am responsible for my sins, and their effect on you, and it is appropriate that the wrath of God is revealed in me since, from the goodness of His creation I may know the love of God, from the intuitive God-given mind of my heart I may know God directly, and in neither of these things have I responded. I am unrighteous, and as a result I am found separate from God and ignorant of Him. Please forgive me, in so much as this has also impacted you.

Thoughts and heart, in the last verse, are the two means of knowing: our physical senses and emotions (the intellect) and the heart - not here meant to indicate emotions (which are caused by the physical brains response to physical stimulus and are therefore part of our thoughts). The heart here means the internal eye of our soul - the "nous" in patristic thought. It is this which becomes blackened when we willfully remove ourselves from God's light. With our heart darkened, how could our thoughts possibly be true?

Romans 1:22-25
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the Truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

St. Paul here finishes his discussion of the contrast between the pagan sinners (idolaters) and the righteous who live by faith. Notice still that St. Paul is discussing action. The foolishness, caused by unrighteousness, results in our hearts being darkened and our intellect becoming ignorant of God. In the absence of true spiritual knowledge, we turn to what we can know - our senses. We see the animals and the forces of nature, and being ignorant of our true nature we become fearful of death. Sin invades us and transforms us from majestic images of God's love on earth into pitiful, frightened animals, giving reverance to things we were meant to rule.

Do not think we are above this today. Fearful of death, we ignore and hide from it. Unable to see God, we worship money, sex, and power. The blackness of our nous still drives us from the true knowledge of God and drives us into idolatry, and in this foolishess - in this lack of truth - we remain unable to find God, spiritually isolated. In short, we remain in hell. When our physical bodies die, what will happen to us except that we will forever be in this state, since lacking the physical senses and body we will be unable even to experience those things - all of us will be black, isolated, lonely. This is hell.

Forgive me,
Macarius

Glory to God For All Things

For thanksgiving, my favorite all time prayer of thanksgiving in the midst of suffering; it was written by a priest in a concentration camp, and it shines with all the grace of God.

Glory to God for All Things:

Kontakion 1
Everlasting King, Thy will for our salvation is full of power. Thy right arm controls the whole course of human life. We give Thee thanks for all Thy mercies, seen and unseen. For eternal life, for the heavenly joys of the Kingdom which is to be. Grant mercy to us who sing Thy praise, both now and in the time to come. Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age.

Ikos 1
I was born a weak, defenceless child, but Thine angel spread his wings over my cradle to defend me. From birth until now Thy love has illumined my path, and has wondrously guided me towards the light of eternity; from birth until now the generous gifts of Thy providence have been marvelously showered upon me. I give Thee thanks, with all who have come to know Thee, who call upon Thy name.

Glory to Thee for calling me into being
Glory to Thee, showing me the beauty of the universe
Glory to Thee, spreading out before me heaven and earth
Like the pages in a book of eternal wisdom
Glory to Thee for Thine eternity in this fleeting world
Glory to Thee for Thy mercies, seen and unseen
Glory to Thee through every sigh of my sorrow
Glory to Thee for every step of my life's journey
For every moment of glory
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 2
O Lord, how lovely it is to be Thy guest. Breeze full of scents; mountains reaching to the skies; waters like boundless mirrors, reflecting the sun's golden rays and the scudding clouds. All nature murmurs mysteriously, breathing the depth of tenderness. Birds and beasts of the forest bear the imprint of Thy love. Blessed art thou, mother earth, in thy fleeting loveliness, which wakens our yearning for happiness that will last for ever, in the land where, amid beauty that grows not old, the cry rings out: Alleluia!

Ikos 2
Thou hast brought me into life as into an enchanted paradise. We have seen the sky like a chalice of deepest blue, where in the azure heights the birds are singing. We have listened to the soothing murmur of the forest and the melodious music of the streams. We have tasted fruit of fine flavour and the sweet-scented honey. We can live very well on Thine earth. It is a pleasure to be Thy guest.

Glory to Thee for the Feast Day of life
Glory to Thee for the perfume of lilies and roses
Glory to Thee for each different taste of berry and fruit
Glory to Thee for the sparkling silver of early morning dew
Glory to Thee for the joy of dawn's awakening
Glory to Thee for the new life each day brings
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 3
It is the Holy Spirit who makes us find joy in each flower, the exquisite scent, the delicate colour, the beauty of the Most High in the tiniest of things. Glory and honour to the Spirit, the Giver of Life, who covers the fields with their carpet of flowers, crowns the harvest with gold, and gives to us the joy of gazing at it with our eyes. O be joyful and sing to Him: Alleluia!

Ikos 3
How glorious art Thou in the springtime, when every creature awakes to new life and joyfully sings Thy praises with a thousand tongues. Thou art the Source of Life, the Destroyer of Death. By the light of the moon, nightingales sing, and the valleys and hills lie like wedding garments, white as snow. All the earth is Thy promised bride awaiting her spotless husband. If the grass of the field is like this, how gloriously shall we be transfigured in the Second Coming after the Resurrection! How splendid our bodies, how spotless our souls!

Glory to Thee, bringing from the depth of the earth an endless variety of colours, tastes and scents
Glory to Thee for the warmth and tenderness of the world of nature
Glory to Thee for the numberless creatures around us
Glory to Thee for the depths of Thy wisdom, the whole world a living sign of it
Glory to Thee; on my knees, I kiss the traces of Thine unseen hand
Glory to Thee, enlightening us with the clearness of eternal life
Glory to Thee for the hope of the unutterable, imperishable beauty of immortality
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 4
How filled with sweetness are those whose thoughts dwell on Thee; how life-giving Thy holy Word. To speak with Thee is more soothing than anointing with oil; sweeter than the honeycomb. To pray to Thee lifts the spirit, refreshes the soul. Where Thou art not, there is only emptiness; hearts are smitten with sadness; nature, and life itself, become sorrowful; where Thou art, the soul is filled with abundance, and its song resounds like a torrent of life: Alleluia!

Ikos 4
When the sun is setting, when quietness falls like the peace of eternal sleep, and the silence of the spent day reigns, then in the splendour of its declining rays, filtering through the clouds, I see Thy dwelling-place: fiery and purple, gold and blue, they speak prophet-like of the ineffable beauty of Thy presence, and call to us in their majesty. We turn to the Father.

Glory to Thee at the hushed hour of nightfall
Glory to Thee, covering the earth with peace
Glory to Thee for the last ray of the sun as it sets
Glory to Thee for sleep's repose that restores us
Glory to Thee for Thy goodness even in the time of darkness
When all the world is hidden from our eyes
Glory to Thee for the prayers offered by a trembling soul
Glory to Thee for the pledge of our reawakening
On that glorious last day, that day which has no evening
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 5
The dark storm clouds of life bring no terror to those in whose hearts Thy fire is burning brightly. Outside is the darkness of the whirlwind, the terror and howling of the storm, but in the heart, in the presence of Christ, there is light and peace, silence: Alleluia!

Ikos 5
I see Thine heavens resplendent with stars. How glorious art Thou radiant with light! Eternity watches me by the rays of the distant stars. I am small, insignificant, but the Lord is at my side. Thy right arm guides me wherever I go.

Glory to Thee, ceaselessly watching over me
Glory to Thee for the encounters Thou dost arrange for me
Glory to Thee for the love of parents, for the faithfulness of friends
Glory to Thee for the humbleness of the animals which serve me
Glory to Thee for the unforgettable moments of life
Glory to Thee for the heart's innocent joy
Glory to Thee for the joy of living
Moving and being able to return Thy love
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 6
How great and how close art Thou in the powerful track of the storm! How mighty Thy right arm in the blinding flash of the lightning! How awesome Thy majesty! The voice of the Lord fills the fields, it speaks in the rustling of the trees. The voice of the Lord is in the thunder and the downpour. The voice of the Lord is heard above the waters. Praise be to Thee in the roar of mountains ablaze. Thou dost shake the earth like a garment; Thou dost pile up to the sky the waves of the sea. Praise be to Thee, bringing low the pride of man. Thou dost bring from his heart a cry of Penitence: Alleluia!

Ikos 6
When the lightning flash has lit up the camp dining hall, how feeble seems the light from the lamp. Thus dost Thou, like the lightning, unexpectedly light up my heart with flashes of intense joy. After Thy blinding light, how drab, how colourless, how illusory all else seems. My souls clings to Thee.

Glory to Thee, the highest peak of men's dreaming
Glory to Thee for our unquenchable thirst for communion with God
Glory to Thee, making us dissatisfied with earthly things
Glory to Thee, turning on us Thine healing rays
Glory to Thee, subduing the power of the spirits of darkness
And dooming to death every evil
Glory to Thee for the signs of Thy presence
For the joy of hearing Thy voice and living in Thy love
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 7
In the wondrous blending of sounds it is Thy call we hear; in the harmony of many voices, in the sublime beauty of music, in the glory of the works of great composers: Thou leadest us to the threshold of paradise to come, and to the choirs of angels. All true beauty has the power to draw the soul towards Thee, and to make it sing in ecstasy: Alleluia!

Ikos 7
The breath of Thine Holy Spirit inspires artists, poets and scientists. The power of Thy supreme knowledge makes them prophets and interpreters of Thy laws, who reveal the depths of Thy creative wisdom. Their works speak unwittingly of Thee. How great art Thou in Thy creation! How great art Thou in man!

Glory to Thee, showing Thine unsurpassable power in the laws of the universe
Glory to Thee, for all nature is filled with Thy laws
Glory to Thee for what Thou hast revealed to us in Thy mercy
Glory to Thee for what Thou hast hidden from us in Thy wisdom
Glory to Thee for the inventiveness of the human mind
Glory to Thee for the dignity of man's labour
Glory to Thee for the tongues of fire that bring inspiration
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 8
How near Thou art in the day of sickness. Thou Thyself visitest the sick; Thou Thyself bendest over the sufferer's bed. His heart speaks to Thee. In the throes of sorrow and suffering Thou bringest peace and unexpected consolation. Thou art the comforter. Thou art the love which watches over and heals us. To Thee we sing the song: Alleluia!

Ikos 8
When in childhood I called upon Thee consciously for the first time, Thou didst hear my prayer, and Thou didst fill my heart with the blessing of peace. At that moment I knew Thy goodness and knew how blessed are those who turn to Thee. I started to call upon Thee night and day; and now even now I call upon Thy name.

Glory to Thee, satisfying my desires with good things
Glory to Thee, watching over me day and night
Glory to Thee, curing affliction and emptiness with the healing flow of time
Glory to Thee, no loss is irreparable in Thee,
Giver of eternal life to all
Glory to Thee, making immortal all that is lofty and good
Glory to Thee, promising us the longed-for meeting with our loved ones who have died
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 9
Why is it that on a Feast Day the whole of nature mysteriously smiles? Why is it that then a heavenly gladness fills our hearts; a gladness far beyond that of earth and the very air in church and in the altar becomes luminous? It is the breath of Thy gracious love. It is the reflection of the glory of Mount Tabor. Then do heaven and earth sing Thy praise: Alleluia!

Ikos 9
When Thou didst call me to serve my brothers and filled my soul with humility, one of Thy deep, piercing rays shone into my heart; it became luminous, full of light like iron glowing in the furnace. I have seen Thy face, face of mystery and of unapproachable glory.

Glory to Thee, transfiguring our lives with deeds of love
Glory to Thee, making wonderfully Sweet the keeping of Thy commandments
Glory to Thee, making Thyself known where man shows mercy on his neighbour
Glory to Thee, sending us failure and misfortune that we may understand the sorrows of others
Glory to Thee, rewarding us so well for the good we do
Glory to Thee, welcoming the impulse of our heart's love
Glory to Thee, raising to the heights of heaven every act of love in earth and sky
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 10
No one can put together what has crumbled into dust, but Thou canst restore a conscience turned to ashes. Thou canst restore to its former beauty a soul lost and without hope. With Thee, there is nothing that cannot be redeemed. Thou art love; Thou art Creator and Redeemer. We praise Thee, singing: Alleluia!

Ikos 10
Remember, my God, the fall of Lucifer full of pride, keep me safe with the power of Thy Grace; save me from falling away from Thee. Save me from doubt. Incline my heart to hear Thy mysterious voice every moment of my life. Incline my heart to call upon Thee, present in everything.

Glory to Thee for every happening
Every condition Thy providence has put me in
Glory to Thee for what Thou speakest to me in my heart
Glory to Thee for what Thou revealest to me, asleep or awake
Glory to Thee for scattering our vain imaginations
Glory to Thee for raising us from the slough of our passions through suffering
Glory to Thee for curing our pride of heart by humiliation
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 11
Across the cold chains of the centuries, I feel the warmth of Thy breath, I feel Thy blood pulsing in my veins. Part of time has already gone, but now Thou art the present. I stand by Thy Cross; I was the cause of it. I cast myself down in the dust before it. Here is the triumph of love, the victory of salvation. Here the centuries themselves cannot remain silent, singing Thy praises: Alleluia!

Ikos 11
Blessed are they that will share in the King's Banquet: but already on earth Thou givest me a foretaste of this blessedness. How many times with Thine own hand hast Thou held out to me Thy Body and Thy Blood, and I, though a miserable sinner, have received this Mystery, and have tasted Thy love, so ineffable, so heavenly.

Glory to Thee for the unquenchable fire of Thy Grace
Glory to Thee, building Thy Church, a haven of peace in a tortured world
Glory to Thee for the life-giving water of Baptism in which we find new birth
Glory to Thee, restoring to the penitent purity white as the lily
Glory to Thee for the cup of salvation and the bread of eternal joy
Glory to Thee for exalting us to the highest heaven
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 12
How often have I seen the reflection of Thy glory in the faces of the dead. How resplendent they were, with beauty and heavenly joy. How ethereal, how translucent their faces. How triumphant over suffering and death, their felicity and peace. Even in the silence they were calling upon Thee. In the hour of my death, enlighten my soul, too, that it may cry out to Thee: Alleluia!

Ikos 12
What sort of praise can I give Thee? I have never heard the song of the Cherubim, a joy reserved for the spirits above. But I know the praises that nature sings to Thee. In winter, I have beheld how silently in the moonlight the whole earth offers Thee prayer, clad in its white mantle of snow, sparkling like diamonds. I have seen how the rising sun rejoices in Thee, how the song of the birds is a chorus of praise to Thee. I have heard the mysterious mutterings of the forests about Thee, and the winds singing Thy praise as they stir the waters. I have understood how the choirs of stars proclaim Thy glory as they move forever in the depths of infinite space. What is my poor worship! All nature obeys Thee, I do not. Yet while I live, I see Thy love, I long to thank Thee, and call upon Thy name.

Glory to Thee, giving us light
Glory to Thee, loving us with love so deep, divine and infinite
Glory to Thee, blessing us with light, and with the host of angels and saints
Glory to Thee, Father all-holy, promising us a share in Thy Kingdom
Glory to Thee, Holy Spirit, life-giving Sun of the world to come
Glory to Thee for all things, Holy and most merciful Trinity
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 13
Life-giving and merciful Trinity, receive my thanksgiving for all Thy goodness. Make us worthy of Thy blessings, so that, when we have brought to fruit the talents Thou hast entrusted to us, we may enter into the joy of our Lord, forever exulting in the shout of victory: Alleluia!
(repeat Kontakion 13 and Alleluia three times)

Ikos 1
I was born a weak, defenceless child, but Thine angel spread his wings over my cradle to defend me. From birth until now Thy love has illumined my path, and has wondrously guided me towards the light of eternity; from birth until now the generous gifts of Thy providence have been marvelously showered upon me. I give Thee thanks, with all who have come to know Thee, who call upon Thy name.

Glory to Thee for calling me into being
Glory to Thee, showing me the beauty of the universe
Glory to Thee, spreading out before me heaven and earth
Like the pages in a book of eternal wisdom
Glory to Thee for Thine eternity in this fleeting world
Glory to Thee for Thy mercies, seen and unseen
Glory to Thee through every sigh of my sorrow
Glory to Thee for every step of my life's journey
For every moment of glory
Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age

Kontakion 1
Everlasting King, Thy will for our salvation is full of power. Thy right arm controls the whole course of human life. We give Thee thanks for all Thy mercies, seen and unseen. For eternal life, for the heavenly Joys of the Kingdom which is to be. Grant mercy to us who sing Thy praise, both now and in the time to come. Glory to Thee, O God, from age to age.
_________________________________________________________

Happy Thanksgiving!

In Christ,
Macarius

Romans 1:11 - 17

Romans 1:11 - 13
For I long to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift, so that you may be established - that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.

This is fairly straightforward, but significant. First, St. Paul asserts his apostolicity, declaring that he has a spiritual gift to impart to the Roman Christians that they may be properly established. This gift does not come independent of the laity, however. The Bishop leads from within the Church, not over the Church. It is our mutual faith, incarnate in the laity and overseen by the bishop, that establishes us. You cannot have one without the other. The laity, independent of guidance, will each turn to their own opinions - nothing will be established because there will be no order. The bishop, independent of laity, cannot have a Church to establish. We must always remember that we are in God's house - God asks us to serve one another, and so the bishop serves us, and we serve the bishop through our obedience and support. Thus we establish one another.

St. Paul also makes a critical emphatic point here: his preaching is to the Gentiles. It isn't exclusively to the Gentiles, but he is certainly not a Judaizer. This is important because the entire theme of the book of Romans is this Judaizing heresy of the early Church.

Romans 1:14 - 16
I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

St. Paul herein reveals the heart of his message in this epistle - his thesis statement, if you will. First, St. Paul is an apostle and missionary of the Church. This should confirm to us the importance of preaching the gospel to all people. In particular, St. Paul makes certain to say his debtor to the "wise" (as the Judaizers would have been in their own eyes) and the "unwise" (as they doubtless thought of the Gentiles). "[The Gospel] is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

It is not to the Jews alone that salvation is promised; the Messiah is for all people - the Jew first, and also for the Greek (the Gentile).

Romans 1:17
For in it ((the Gospel)) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

A few critical things we must comment on here, as now we enter the part of Romans that begins to talk about the nature of this Gospel which is the salvation of Gentiles and Jews alike.

FIRST: St. Paul is, in this letter, contrasting the views of the Judaizers with those of the Church. The Judaizers said that one must first become a member of the Jewish culture / ethnicity (represented in Jewish law) in order to become a Christian, since Christianity is a sect of Judaism. The Church, at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) disagreed. It says that Judaism was chosen because it would give birth to the Christ, but that the Christ belongs to all peoples. One does not need to be Jewish in order to be of Christ, because it is by FAITH (not Jewish cultural law) that we become Christ's.

SECOND: Faith, here in the very sentence, is revealed as an ACTION. Notice he says the just shall "live by faith." You can't live by a cognitive belief. Rather, one lives by something only if one does what that thing compels. Faith is, therefore, intimately connected to action in the salvific sense. So when, in this Epistle, St. Paul discusses faith versus works, what he is contrasting is the ACTION motivated by faith versus the ACTION motivated by the Jewish cultural law. St. Paul does NOT contradict St. James - rather they agree. Faith without works is dead, for the just shall LIVE by faith (not merely believe it and call that sufficient).

Think of it this way: faith is, ultimately, TRUST. We are called to trust God. This sense in our culture that faith is a cognitive belief in the existence of God (as in, we have faith against all evidence that God is real), is an empty and satanic faith. It deprives faith of its power. YES, we must believe that God exists. To be certain, we believe that. I don't, personally, think that requires us to check our brains at the door - on the contrary, I think atheists are the ones committing grave philosophical errors (it is nearly impossible to prove a negative), though I can see how agnosticism is a philosophically defensible position.

But faith? Faith is Trust. The two words are identical in the Greek (pistis). The creed says, if translated this way, "I TRUST in One God... And One Lord Jesus Christ... and in the Holy Spirit..."

If I trust God, then I must act on that trust. If I trust God, and someone cuts me off when I'm driving, then I trust that God's providence allowed that. If God's providence allowed that, then my only reaction can be to THANK God. Anger, rage, swearing... these will show up nowhere. If someone is my enemy, it is only because God's providence allowed that. And if God's providence allowed it, then I trust it is ultimately for my good, even if I don't know how. And if I TRUST God, then I am thankful for that enemey - indeed, I love him or her. I love my enemies if I have faith. If I have faith, I trust that God has made each person in His image, and that it is by God's will alone that they live. I trust, then, that God has made each person, each moment, a complete and utter free gift of his grace - a miracle of creation. I cannot help but love and love absolutely if I have the eye of faith.

In so much as we don't act this way - with absolute love towards God (whom we Trust) and neighbor (whom we love by our trusting God) - then we don't have faith. Those who preach that we should have faith alone are partially correct. Absolute faith, lived absolutely, will produce moral action (though the spiritual life is also about unity with God, and faith is but one part of this process). We cannot just "pray a sinner's prayer," though, and call that salvation when our lives are still full of rot, pride, anger, and sin. REPENT and believe is the first command of Christ, and the just - those who have been justified - will LIVE by faith.

In Christ,
Macarius

Same Sex Marriage and the Church

Though I am an untrained theologian who has not studied the church fathers on this subject, I have found myself often in discussions with people over the issue of homosexuality. It's an important issue within the Church, and (at the request of a friend) I'm going to post what I typically say in response to questions about why the Church doesn't allow practicing homosexuals to commune / marry. This is my opinion. That is to say - it makes sense to me, but I'm not confident enough to say that it is "the" Orthodox reply to this question. My conclusions are Orthodox, however, and perhaps that is in some way sufficient.

I struggle, as I'm sure many do, in the way I phrase my perspective because I want to avoid communicating any hatred or denigration of those who have same-sex attraction (whether they follow through on that attraction or not). It is a sensitive issue, full of difficult and powerful emotions - an issue which can strike to the core of people's identity (though sexual orientation strikes me as an odd source for one's identity; perhaps that's part of the problem?).

In general, if asked, I say "I don't believe the Church should perform sacramental marriages for people of the same gender." I refrain from saying anything about accusing homosexuals of deviance or sin, as this issue requires a more nuanced delicacy to avoid coming across as hateful and judgmental. If asked why, I generally ask if the person has some time and an open mind, then launch into something like the following...

Our theology of marriage begins, as all things do, with the Holy Trinity. We profess that God is love in His essence - love within Himself. This, however, cannot be a narcissistic sort of selfish love of one monad unto Himself. Rather, as we are called to imitate that love, we know that love to be other-centric and self-denying. This is manifested in the great mystery of the Triune God. He is Father loving Son loving Spirit. While there is hierarchy in the relationships (Father as fountainhead of divinity) they are co-equal and of the same nature, fully God. One God, Three Persons, Perfect Hierarchy, Perfect Love. Notice also that it within the Trinity each person has their distinctness - they own thus-ness.

We must understand this love to have any hope of understanding human love. We were made for relationship - specifically relationship which is ascetic (that is, teaches us to be other-centered and thus helps break down our own ego). Furthermore, we were made for relationships that, while having hierarchy, are so perfect in their love that the hierarchy fades to the background and we see functional (and true, thanks to the perfection of this love) equality. Human love can never achieve the fullness of union that the Divine Love has by essence, but we can begin to imitate it. This is what it means for us to become one with one another. Marriage is the divine sacrament in which these principles of love find fulfillment as an icon of the Divine Love. This principle does not have any direct bearing on homosexuality in the Church, though it does set up the sacramental nature of marriage. As all sacraments, it is a real symbol, not an empty one. It makes manifest - makes incarnate - that which it represents. At its best, marriage makes the Trinity accessible to the world.

There is another divine relationship, however, to which marriage is also an icon: that of Christ to His Church. Ephesians directly relates that to marriage. We have, as prophecy, the words in Genesis that speak of a man leaving His father (in heaven) and His mother (on earth) to join with His wife that the two may become one flesh. This certainly speaks of earthly marriage, but you can see how it prophecies and finds fulfillment in Christ.

At what point do we understand ourselves to have become one flesh with our Lord and Bridegroom? Well, He became man in the Incarnation, joining the divine and human natures so that we may participate in His divine energies. We also enter, iconically, into His death and resurrection (and thus the energies of His resurrection - His saving grace) by baptism. We recieve the grace of His forgiving hand in confession. We recieve the Spirit - even as He had it (as a man) - in our personal Pentecost: Chrismation. Chrismation makes us into "little annointed ones" - we become little Christs. Those who are ordained become icons of Christ in His role as priest, revealing in the liturgy the things of heaven, serving the faithful as Christ served His disciples.

The fullness of our oneness with Christ, however, in this lifetime, is fulfilled in the eucharist. This is the eros love of this wedding between Christ and Church - the foretaste and full realization (for those who have eyes to see) of the feast of the bridegroom. Certainly we look forward to the 2nd coming, but the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand today - Christ came to save this world - and the eucharist is our full participation in that. Here, our Lord comes to us in the flesh, and we take the body of our Lord into ourselves, and we become one flesh with Him. If there is no physical union, there is no marriage (hence why we still call Mary the bride unwedded). We are Christ's bride. We are one with Him.

It is that physical-eucharistic womanhood that so clearly ties the icon of marriage to the male-female relationship for me. It's about more than leadership within a relationship (since the Christian leadership is really about self-death and service anyway). It's about our way of loving Christ (submission in voluntary love) and our way of become one with Christ physically (by recieving His body into ourself).

Marriage is, therefore, an icon of this love. Here we have the man, who is to be like Christ to His wife - so loving of her as to give the totality of his life to her benefit. He is to give her all his dreams, all his hopes. To make his life about her life. To serve and not to demand. To die to himself. This is to be done no matter what she does in return, for if we demanded that our wives reciprocated we would be hypocrites. Christ Himself has the worst bride possible - think of all the sins we commit! We must thank God that He has provided us with such a model of a husband, for we, as a bride, must be a hideous harlot and adultress, yet He dies for us.

Here also we have the woman - the one who recieves the body of her lord in that act of vulnerability and love, who embraces the totality of who he is and submits to him. That is both a physical and emotional recieving, embracing, and submitting. Here we have hierarchy, but hierarchy which, when lived out with the love that is the Divine Love, fades into non-existence and becomes perfect love.

Here is one level on which homosexuality is "wrong" (or spiritually unhealthy / not-an-icon-of-the-kingdom). Two men cannot represent Christ and the Church. The Church is uniquely feminine in its noblest sense. To take that from her is to distort the image, indeed to rob women of their womenhood. Furthermore, Christ is uniquely male (in so much that He became a boy), and though God is in essence gender neutral (by human standards) within the context of this typology, God is the male. Two males or two females distorts the image and is, therefore, not the sacrament of marriage. With no sacrament, there is to be no sex. Therefore, since the Church cannot marry two men or two women (as they don't form the correct and given icon of Christ and the Church) two men or two women ought not to have sex outside of that marriage. Since there is no communion of those having sex outside of marriage, there is no communion for those living in homosexual relationships.

Another level exists to this, though. The eucharist is not just unitive in nature. It is life producing. We have Christ born in us by the grace of the sacrament of eucharist, and by that birth we become more Christ like. In this, again, we have a woman as our model (for in so much as we are the Church, we are feminine). Mary, the Theotokos, is our model and hope. She, by the "yes" she gave to the incarnation, became one with the Holy Spirit, and by that union and at the good will of the Father, she bore the Son physically in her womb.

She BORE Christ and had Christ BORN from her. By this union, she became more Christ like. She is truly the icon of the bride of God! In this way, she is an icon of the Church.

Homosexual union cannot produce life - not naturally, anyway - but heterosexual union (generally) can. It fulfills the eucharistic Christ-Church icon to its fullest. And by giving birth to children (the prayers for which, by the way, are all over the marriage sacrament - most who see an Orthodox wedding are suprised by how much focus is paid to having children) we learn, again, to be self-sacrificing in our love. It becomes about the child, not about 'me.' This again, goes back to our understanding of Divine Love within the Trinity. Because homosexual union can never produce such a miracle, it cannot recieve the prayers of the sacrament of marriage and, once again, becomes sex outside of marriage. Remember that for the Orthodox, the prayers of the Liturgy are considered fertile ground for theology - the enshrine the tradition - if anyone doubts that the Church doesn't marry people of the same gender, read the marriage sacrament. It would make ZERO sense.

Now, what about those who cannot have children from within hetero-sexual relationships. The first point about how man-woman = Christ-Church still suffices on its own.

However, I also accept the idea of the miraculous births God accomplished for the infirtile. It fits so perfectly into this typological understanding. Who is it that produces life in us? Well, it may be explanable biologically, but ultimately it is a miracle of God. The "miraculous" births remind us of that. Keep in mind that Mary was celibate, yet was a perfect icon of marriage to God. There are celibate men and women in the Church for whom she is an icon of their life (along with John the Baptist and Christ Himself). Some marriages choose to live as brother and sister (St. John of Krondstadt did this). I think the principle is this: the marriage sacrament, if we are going to make general rules about it, cannot be between man and man or woman and woman because no possibility of producing new life exists. Because it is possible (even if unlikely) between man and woman, the church can marry them. Beyond that, it is up to God.

To put it another way, the Church, in the sacraments, is the immediate joining of this world to the New Kingdom. It is the invasion of this fallen world with that perfect one. In this sense, it is of itself a miracle that we have sacraments. They bring us into a unique state of being - into contact with Christ and His Heaven.That said, I think the iconography of the Church, as a window into Heaven, is helpful here. You'll notice that most physical infirmities are absent from icons (unless those icons depict a specific historical event, in which case they aren't so much looking at the present state of Heaven as at Heaven's [real and present] remembrance of a key event of salvation). In heaven, such products of the fall as physical ailments will be absent. Human mortality will be no more.

The Church is, therefore, eschatalogical in it's approach to the sacraments, and, in being eschatalogical it is deeply optimistic. The sacraments are acts of hope. So when we marry a man and a woman, we do so because ontologically - in an unfallen world - they'd be able to produce life from their iconically eucharistic union. That is to say, we don't take into account the failures of the fallen world when partaking of sacraments precisely because those sacraments are not the matter of the fallen world. It is precisely by refusing to allow the evil and suffering of this world to compromise, in ANY way, our actions or eschatalogical optimism, that we imitate Chirst on the cross.

In other words, we must look at the potential marriage couple from the perspective of the Kingdom (Without the lense of the fall) and see them as man and woman, capable of producing life. From that, it is up to God. The fall is indeed real, so when the sacrament is complete, perhaps there will be no children. But in our eschatalogical optimism and kingdom-oriented view we don't see them this way. By nature, man and woman can produce life together, where as people of the same gender cannot.

Hope that helps!

In Christ,
Macarius

Advent Fast Begins

I always enjoy this time of year - the fall leaves are out, and the starkness of the trees matches the mood of the feastly fast: austere, yet full of beauty.

During this fast, I'm reading Romans. I'll post my musings here, though I'll be reading only in the NKJV, so I'm not sure that some of the particulars will pan out if the text is read in the Greek.

Romans 1:1-4
Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.

The Apostle declares himself a bondservant - that is to say that he, though a leader of the Church, is merely a servant in the household of another. As Metropolitan Jonah has said, "episcopos" means "head servant" or "overseer of the slaves" - like a head butler. The Apostle confirms this - the leaders of the Church are here to serve it, not lord over it. Christ alone is Lord. They are only "dressed up" like a noble when in liturgy - and then because they are the ICON of the True Lord in Heaven. They are called, as St. Paul is called - they don't self-elect. If we nominate ourselves or self-promote, then we are full of pride. The desire to be clergy can be dangerous, if it makes us into Pharisees who desire to be the center of attention.

The Old Testament is here called "Holy Scriptures," and we are reminded that all of the Old Testament prophesies of Christ. It is to be read typologically, through the Apostolic lense of Christ's incarnation, death and resurrection. Any other reading (historical-critical, for example) is incomplete if it doesn't develop and deepen into this Apostolic / Patristic view of the Scriptures.

Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, the Christ - this man is the Son of God and the Lord. Unless there is any doubt, St. Paul makes clear that this Son of God - the Lord (which is to say, God) - became flesh. He states "according to the flesh" and "born of the Seed of David." This indicates both that the Lord became flesh, but was also properly called the Messiah and the Christ because of His lineage from David.

We know that He is the Son of God because the Holy Spirit reveals it, both through the Holy Scriptures and the Prophets (inspired by the Holy Spirit) and through the Resurrection and its proclamation by the Apostles (St. Paul, who here declares it). No one could rise from the dead of His own accord unless He were life in Himself - that is to say, unless He were God. The Holy Spirit, revealing the Resurrected Christ, confirms Him as the Son of God and God.

Romans 1:5 - 6
Through Him we have recieved grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.

The "Him" in this case is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This confirms that St. Paul believes Christ is God, since in verse 1 He says that he was separated to the gospel of God - and this is also called the gospel of Christ.

This calling, this grace, is "for obedience to the faith" - no bishop, nor any apostle, can alter the faith of Christ. Nothing can be added to it; nothing can be taken from it. Rather it is sealed. The tradition is Apostolic in that it is delivered to us by the Apostles, but they are obedient to Christ's revelation.

The most important part of these two verses, though, is that this obedience is "among all the nations for His name." Remembering that this letter is being written to the early community in Rome, St. Paul is affirming that the Gospel is for all humanity. "The Nations" refers to the Gentiles - the Romans and Greeks and other ethnicities present in the multi-cultural metropolis. This statement would have been radical to St. Paul's Judaizing opponents, whom he has in mind throughout this letter (indeed, the letter seems half addressed to them).

The Romans, in their entirety - both Jews and Greeks - are called as part of this obedience to the faith among the nations. There is no distinction between them.

Romans 1:7
To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be Saints
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Those in Rome are beloved by God and called to be Saints (that is, called to be holy and set apart for God). This is one of the few points in scripture where the word "saint" carries the meaning we use it with today. Called to be saints can be seen as implying that they are not yet saints, but rather are in the process of becoming saints.

This is part of the "already, but not yet" sense of the Kingdom. It is at hand, and in so much as we are in Christ we are saints. Our baptism and the eucharist effect sainthood in us by clothing us in Christ and filling us with Christ, and our repentance unites us to Christ's holiness. However, we should never pretend that this process is complete so long as one ounce of sin remains in us. We are to be slaves of Christ's, and obedient slaves do nothing outside the commandments of their masters. Such should we be. In so much as we sin, we remain "called to be saints" - exhorted by their example (and first by the example of Christ), but aware that we remain outside the Gates of the Kingdom and must knock in humility in order to enter.

Here again we see the co-equality of the Father and Son. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is said to give grace and peace on the same level as the Father. Indeed, it would an insult (from an Arian, Judaic, or Muslim point of view) for ANYONE'S name to be included alongside God's in this way, unless that person were God. Therefore, St. Paul cannot be a Muslim, nor a Jew (in the modern sense) nor an Arian, since he boldly (and by the inspiration of the Spirit) places Christ's name adjacent to the Father, and even calls Jesus "Lord" in this context. Within the first 7 verses of Romans, Paul reveals himself as "trinitarian" (Christ, the Son of the Father, revealed by the Holy Spirit; is coequal to the Father) and "incarnational" (the Son of God, who is God, became flesh). The Nicene Council invented nothing, but remained true to the teachings of the Apostles. In so much as we adhere to that Tradition, we adhere to the teachings of the Apostles, and by them, the teachings of Christ.

Romans 1:8-9
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers...

God is thanked through Jesus Christ because only in the Eucharistic sacrifice of Christ can we have access to God in order to thank Him. Jesus Christ bridges the gap between man and God in the Incarnation and on the Cross (whereby He conquered death, the last barrier between God and man). Herein also is the gospel called "of His Son" (Jesus Christ), confirming what was implied in verses 1 through 5. Paul was called by the Gospel of God, which is the Gospel of the Son of God, which implies that the Son of God is God.

St. Paul prays continuously, setting an example for us. Prayer is not requesting stuff from God. Prayer is the means by which we open our hearts / minds / souls / "nous" to God. It is the act of being present to the presence of God, not in awareness, but in communion. Praying continuously is, therefore, nothing short of what it means to be saved, since if we truly prayed continuously, we would be (necessarily) filled with the presence of God and in full communion with God. This is theosis.

More to come in subsequent days, or perhaps latter tonight. My hands are tired. I'm most excited about getting into the later chapters of Romans.

Forgive me,
Macarius

From the Baghavad Gita

World Religions remains one of my favorite subjects of all time, for several reasons. First, I'm an academic at heart and I love studying and learning - God's world is fascinating and I want to experience all of it. Second, and more importantly, we as Orthodox profess that God IS Truth. This means that anywhere you find Truth you've found God, and that any seeker of the Truth is, ultimately, a seeker of Christ and a fellow companion on that journey. That shouldn't stop us from proclaiming the fullness of the Truth in Orthodoxy, but neither should we fear the words of other religions, so long as we think critically about what we are reading.

I was reading the Baghavad Gita, which, aside from some of its metaphysical claims (about reincarnation and the nature of deities), is a remarkably Orthodox text about what it means to be a spiritual human being, and I ran across this passage. I struck me how aptly this describes the ideal of an Orthodox ascetic, and with the fast approaching it seemed appropriate. I've "translated" (interpreted) a few words to make it more accessible to a Christian reader. Those appear in paranthesis.

From the Second Canto, line (shokta) 54 - 72:

Arjuna asked: "Who is the man of dispassion, Krishna? Who is steady in devotion? How does he speak, rest, walk?"

Krishna answered: "He has shed desire; he is content in the soul, by the soul. He is steady. He endures sorrow. He does not chase pleasure. Attachment, anger and fear do not touch him. He is not selfish.

He does not rejoice in prosperity. He is not saddened by want. He can recall his senses from their objects as the tortoise pulls in its head. He is serene.

Objects scatter away from the good but lazy man, but desire remains. In the perfect state, however, desire also goes. Yes, it is true that the violent senses rock the reason of the wisest man, but the steadfast man thinks of (God), and commands his desires. His mind is stable, because his desires are subdued.

Meditation on objects breeds attachment; from attachment springs covetousness; and covetousness breeds anger. Anger leads to confusion, and confusion kills discernment; discernment gone, choice is rendered impossible; and when moral choice fails, man is doomed.

But a person who is established in firmness, free from pleasure and repugnance, traversing experience with his senses restrained -- such a person finds tranquility. When tranquility comes, sorrow goes; a person whose wisdom is tranquil is truly stable.

The wavering person does not grow. Without growth, there is no peace; without peace there is no bliss.

The mind is swayed by the senses; they destroy discernment, as a storm sinks boats on a lake. Only that man can be described as stead whose feelings are detached from their objects. What is night to others is daylight to the restrained man; and when dawn comes to others, night comes to the perceiving sage.

The ocean, deep and silent, absorbs a thousand waters. The saint absorbs a thousand desires, and finds peace -- which the satisfier of the senses cannot.

Undistracted, passionless, egoless - he finds peace.

Peace is to be in (God), Arjuna, to suffer no more delusion. In peace is eternal unity with (God), the peace of enlightenment."

Hope you find that as much of an exortation as I did.

In Christ,
Macarius

Bishop Jonah elected Metropolitan

Incredible.

Fr. (Bi! MP!!) Jonah is my spiritual father. He gave the homily at my wedding. He catechized me and baptized me in the waters near Point Reyes. It was his gift of discernment that helped me find the blessedness of marriage - it was he who directed me away from the monastic life. He is a genuine father to me, and a dear friend.

I cannot believe that he is Metropolitan. The man is so young! It thrills me to think that he could be Metropolitan for 40 years. I've heard him rail against the disunity of American Christianity; I've had the privelege of hearing him give several homilies on the patristic vision of the spiritual life... He's a mystic, a genuine Orthodox Christian in the ancient tradition.

I am sad to be losing him - he is still my father, but he will be so busy that I can't imagine bringing simple requests about changes in my fasting obediences to the Metropolitan...

But I cannot think of anyone better. Anyone. He's American (Californian), a convert (like a significant portion of the active Orthodox Christians in this country), a missionary, and an eloquent teacher. He's a BUILDER. Look at what he has built - he's served and started mission parishes and a very successful monastery. We need that.

Praised be to God! Many years to the new Metropolitan. Many, many years. I hope he still stops by the other diocese occassionally so I can at least give him a hug.

Check out the OCA website for some of his homilies from the council. The one he gave BEFORE the election is probably what got him elected, and is so powerful... It's rare to hear someone declare simple, unadulterated truth and to call us to action on that TRUTH.

Many years, Mp. Jonah!

In Christ,
Macarius

First Post

Hello all,

This blog is mostly for my friends (those both in real life and online), who share with me a deep love of traditional Christian theology.

I'll post reflections / ideas here, as well as use this to coordinate retreats to monasteries or during Holy Week.

I will keep very little personal info here. If you know me, you know how to contact me. I chose the name Macarius a while ago for my online identity in theological discussions. It is a name I considered at my baptism, and also considered it as a potential name if I had become a monk. It means "little warrior" (where as Mark means "warrior). It is also the name of a great monastic saint.

More to come later. Welcome to my blog :-)

In Christ,
Macarius