Facing the Consequences

Some thoughts on a comment by Archbishop DMITRI of Dallas:

Commenting on the stories of the Transfiguration in Matthew, Mark and Luke, Archbishop DMITRI of Dallas observed that each of the stories contains the phrase “coming down” in reference to the disciples’ descent from the mount of glory into the world of daily ministry. In each gospel, he noted, they come down to controversy and difficulties. In drawing a conclusion he stated:

We ourselves are filled with the same glory in the Divine Liturgy. But like the disciples, we have to ‘come down’ and face the consequences of our faith.

The icon of the Transfiguration, like the icon of Pascha and the icon of the Ascension, places Christ in a “parenthetical” position, portrayed in the midst of an artistic figure that is known as a “mandorla.” In the grammar of icons it frames Christ in a moment that is transcendent – a moment that somehow escapes our ability to see clearly or describe. They are moments of Christ revealed in His glory and moments that reveal the fullness of truth that is found in Him.

But the danger for us as believers is to make Christ Himself a “parenthetical” moment in our lives – occasions and encounters marked off from the rest of the day or week – sometimes from the rest of our lives – and kept somewhere under the heading of “religion” or “faith.” This is especially true when faith in Christ becomes a “private” matter – occasionally distorted with the name of “my personal faith.”

Encountering Christ in His glory – whether that of the Transfiguration when we know Him as God – or that of Pascha when we know His glory in the humility of the Cross – or that of the Ascension when we see Him return to the right hand of the Father – however we encounter Christ – there must and should be consequences to our faith.

To live as a faithful believer in this world is an assurance of difficulties. It is the promise of Christ to us:

 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life (Mk. 10:29-30).

And St. Paul:

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12).

There are many who have read the word “persecution” and have thought only of the literal persecution inflicted by a legal authority – which has not been uncommon in the history of Christianity but has not been nearly as universal as the promise. We have to understand persecution in a broader sense – that obedience to the gospel of Christ inherently brings us into conflict with the world, and even with much that is within our own lives. The gospel will have consequences.

I would argue that the gospel not only will have consequences, but that it must have consequences. The very action of its consequences in our lives is part of the saving grace of God working in us the treasure of our salvation.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us (Romans 8:15-18).

Returning to the image given us in the Transfiguration stories – we are shown the way through the “sufferings of this present time.” We must “come down”. That is, we follow Christ on the way of the Cross in which His self-emptying before the sufferings of this world were, in fact, the humility of God, indeed the power of God that is victorious over all things.

May God give us grace to “face the consequences” of the Gospel and to share in His victorious suffering. This same inevitability of suffering also makes it incumbent on the faithful to live in such a way that we can support one another in the sufferings each bears. This is part of the essential life of the Church and perhaps the part that is most often neglected or least developed. It is particularly difficult in the culture of individualism to understand that the sufferings of one are the sufferings of all, just as the joy of one is the joy of all. We are tempted to suffer alone rather that ask for help and we are hesitant to help when we are asked. But the consequences of the gospel would demand both of us – to humble ourselves to receive help and to help others in our humility.

Again – it is what the gospel terms: love.

About Fr. Stephen Freeman

Fr. Stephen is a retired Archpriest of the Orthodox Church in America. He is also author of Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Storey Universe, and Face to Face: Knowing God Beyond Our Shame, as well as the Glory to God podcast series on Ancient Faith Radio.


Comments

9 responses to “Facing the Consequences”

  1. fatherstephen Avatar

    The image (which I have used frequently) is of a crumbling rail line that was once part of the Soviet Gulag system.

  2. shevaberakhot Avatar

    Father,

    The culture of sin and death has so permeated the mind of the collective, that all who are born of the Spirit must, inevitably, be led into a desert — to be tempted and emptied, to reflect and to wait on, to listen to, and ultimately to receive from Him, the holy gift on the mountain.

    As it was in the days of the Son of Man, so it is in these.

    Lord, thank You for the desert, for there in the cleft of the Rock, we heard Your voice and heeded Your instruction.

  3. Mary Gail Avatar
    Mary Gail

    To bring up a particular case —- the leadership of a local state bar association created a division devoted to lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgered (LGBT) “rights.” This was done, as far as I know, without debate or discussion with the membership. A state bar association is a very important organization in the professional life of any attorney in that state. The adoption of this position by the state bar association immediately marginalizes attorneys who are believers (no jokes, here, there are many!).

    In California, doctors specializing in fertility treatment were told they could not limit their participation in same-sex fertilization procedures on the grounds of conscience.

    These things are very important, they are happening here and now and they bode very badly for many Christians holding professional licenses. The opposition to this trend is not well organized. America is marching down the post-Christian highway very quickly, more quickly than most people realize.

  4. fatherstephen Avatar

    It’s going to get worse, I fear, before it gets better, and it may not get better. Think twice before you vote.

  5. […] On consequence and the Gospel. […]

  6. Mark A Hershberger Avatar

    Father,

    “Think twice before you vote” … are you saying I should go back to my old ways of just completely abstaining?

    As it is, I’ve begun to recognize that everyone is going to be doing something I don’t like. And I’ve stopped putting any of my hope in man or his institutions.

    Strangely enough, all this started when I finally started engaging more and abstaining less. Part of my abstinence was fueled by bitterness about how “the system” worked.

    I’m still trying to figure it all out. Right now, I’m just saying I’ve only gotten as far as knowing that 1) the politician is going to disappoint me and 2) my own political choices are poorly informed, even wrong, no matter how hard I try.

  7. shevaberakhot Avatar

    Fear not Father, the prayers of righteous, God fearing men and women availeth much.

  8. fatherstephen Avatar

    Mark,

    My sentiments line up with yours. I was simply saying that these political decisions are coming fast and furious. I don’t know how much voting will really matter in the end – but I would think it is a time to be very circumspect in such matters, and think about the long term affects of a vote, if we can tell such a thing.

    I vote most of the time.

  9. shevaberakhot Avatar

    One of the great strengths of the OCA, as expressed by Fr. Stephen’s writings, is it’s sincere, balanced perspective on the unfolding political process (read drama). People may vote for the candidate they love, but love itself has different meanings in the world.

    Looking at what’s happening outside (everywhere, not just in the US) we are slowly but surely, being force-fed the lie that the secular doctrine of substitution and the emotional “surge” it produces is the only way to solve the problem of injustice.

    The rules are simple. Substitute one evil with another (only let that evil not be mine).

    The contentious example of our times of course, being the “forced eviction of an entire class of the poor, […] from the first home” (abortion), with another evil, the marginalisation of adult poor in society.

    But here the line blurs.

    To admit that we can somehow atone one wrong with another (shuffling problems around) is to then believe that the most pragmatic candidate is the best one.

    This is perhaps, the best we can expect from democracy but not perhaps “a democracy”. Nor is it freedom, but leads to more innovative forms of slavery and suffering.

    Do vote. And pray.

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