A Cruciform Providence

The entire mystery of the economy of our salvation consists in the self-emptying and abasement of the Son of God – St. Cyril of Alexandria

Trust in the providence of God is much more than a general theory of how things are arranged in our lives and in the world. We tend to discuss the notion in the abstract, wondering whether this action or event is to be properly attributed to God. There is a much deeper matter, however, one that goes to the heart of the Christian life and the nature of salvation itself. Providence is not a theory about how things are – it is the very nature of salvation.

A proper place to begin in thinking about this is with Christ Himself.  Jesus says, “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” (Joh 6:38) This is a clear declaration of His self-emptying and abasement, a kenotic action that is consummated on the Cross.

In a similar manner, trust in Divine providence is a form of self-emptying on the part of the believer. Such trust has a very traditional expression: the giving of thanks. To give thanks always, everywhere and for all things is the fullest form of self-emptying. The Elder Sophrony once said that if one were to practice thanksgiving always and everywhere, he would fulfill the saying to St. Silouan, “Keep your mind in hell and despair not.” Fr. Alexander Schmemann said, “Anyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of salvation.”

The common objection to trust in God’s providence is similar to the objections for thanksgiving. We fear that such trust and thanks will result in non-action, an acquiescence to the reign of evil. If the Christian life is rightly understood (and lived), this result is not an issue. This fear, understandably common, is intensified within the mindset and narrative of modernity.

The modern narrative tends to claim that human problems were largely left unattended and uncorrected until the advent of modern social science and political efforts. It fails to recognize that the very period of time that is marked by “modern,” has also contained many of the most egregious human rights violations known to history. Racial slavery, as practiced in America, for example, was maintained and justified almost exclusively on the grounds of very modern reasons.

The fear of inaction is a charge that can easily be brought against the Cross itself. The weakness of Christ Crucified appears (on the surface) to be the acquiescence of God to evil. This is certainly what the powers of evil thought:

…We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1Co 2:7-8)

To trust in providence is not the same as inaction. Rather, it is a description of the form and character of action. The death of Christ on the Cross is in no wise involuntary – it is not passive. A life lived in union with the providence of God is in no way passive – it is the action of the Cross within the world.

The Cross should not be relegated to an event that accomplishes our salvation as an isolated or unique transaction. The Crucified Christ reveals the very nature and character of God and the nature and character of the life of salvation. The Christian life is the process of increasing transformation into the image and likeness of Christ. That image and likeness is specifically that of the Crucified (Phil. 2:5-11).

We are told to keep the commandments. Those commandments include care for the poor, the homeless, those in prison, etc. Indeed, the Cross teaches us to radically identify with them, rather than simply to offer a helping hand. Our concern for justice all too rarely engages anyone face-to-face, nor does it leave us with substantially less money. We fail to understand the true nature of violence, and refuse to acknowledge its inherent role in “making the world a better place.” Modernity is married to violence and pleads that it is all in a good cause.

The justice of the Cross is a way of life – one which makes no sense apart from the resurrection. I once heard it said that a Christian should live their life in such a way that, if Christ had not been raised from the dead, it would be absurd. That absurdity is nothing less than the foolishness of the Cross. In arguments with modernity, the way of the Cross will always lose, will always seem to fall short of solving problems and fixing things. Every human plan is better.

However, if the preaching of the Cross carries with it no foolishness, then something less than the Cross is being preached. Those who have reduced the Cross to a pagan sacrifice, appeasing an angry god, have made of it a wise investment and a safe bet. Such “faith” is beside the point.

Within our daily lives, if we confront the day with thanksgiving, the Cross will quickly reveal itself. The first moment that the giving of thanks becomes difficult, we have reached the wood of the Cross itself. We stand in the very gates of Hades. If, in that moment of difficulty, we persist in giving thanks, then Hades trembles and the dead are raised. This is our personal kenosis, our self-emptying in the presence of the good God. “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”

This same heart will indeed feed the poor and clothe the naked. It may very well give away everything that it owns. It will not make the world a better place, for it is the place where a better world has already become incarnate.

I would like to add a thought to this re-posted article:

As we look around the world in 2020 and see a growing tide of apparent chaos, we do well to remember that the cruciform character of God’s providence is found not just in what we see as “good,” but in what is crucified. The agony of the Cross itself appears to be chaos and the very incarnation of injustice. The love of God is made manifest in that injustice as it is patiently borne by the Son of God. In Him, the Cross is manifest in its transformative goodness, that which tramples down death by death. We should take courage that we are living in a time in which so many opportunities are presenting themselves for our own abandonment to God’s cruciform providence. In this, we should find ample opportunity to preach the gospel of Christ. 

About Fr. Stephen Freeman

Fr. Stephen is a retired Archpriest of the Orthodox Church in America, Pastor Emeritus of St. Anne Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 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.



Posted

in

, ,

by

Comments

109 responses to “A Cruciform Providence”

  1. Dean Avatar
    Dean

    Fr. Stephen,
    Certain giant redwood trees in CA
    have been hollowed out over the last century or more so that wagons and cars could “progress” through them. Some have toppled due to this weakening and at least one is supported with cables so it doesn’t fall.
    Across America I have witnessed small towns hollowed out, of which you write. Now, instead of many old uniquely beautiful towns we have replaced them with strip malls and ubiquitous stores and fast food restaurants…Walmart, Home Depot, McDonald’s, etc. Other buildings bespeak of more loss. Growing up we had few, if any, dialysis centers. Now every small town has one, due to the “progress” of fast food and the sugar and fat laden foods there, lack of exercise (TV, video games, etc.), sedentary lifestyle, among other things.
    Progress always comes with a hefty price tag.

  2. Fr. Stephen Freeman Avatar

    Dean,
    “Progress” is a highly selective con-job and largely pure propaganda. Again, it masks what has been a collapsing civilization. Were we not so deeply invested in our military power and projected presence (and clearly willing to use it at the drop of a hat), our collapse would be far more evident. We are powerful like a bully is powerful – but not powerful as a moral force or for the goodness of our people. I grieve for this and pray God to have mercy.

  3. Ben Nye Avatar
    Ben Nye

    Father,

    I think you would enjoy (if you have not already discovered) the work of Chris Arnade, the author of Dignity. The book is a profound look at the “hollowing out” you describe here. Arnade is a former Wall Street guy who got jaded, started going on long walks, met a bunch of poor people, went on the road to meet more poor people, wrote/photographed it, and eventually became Catholic. Seems logical enough.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WNP94J/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 (I link to Amazon b/c it’s ubiquitous)

  4. Michael Bauman Avatar
    Michael Bauman

    Ben Nye, the book (and many others on dignity) is available through Eighth Day Books. The best bookstore any where.
    https://www.eighthdaybooks.com/product/85081/Dignity-Seeking-Respect-in-Back-Row-America

    The proprietor, Warren Farha, is a faithful Orthodox Christian and you can sit in his store and be still, taking in the presence of God. The Holy Spirit is active in that place.

    Always check there. If it does not show on the search engine–call 800-841-2541. Talk to areal live Orthodox person in Wichita, Ks.

  5. Anonymo Avatar
    Anonymo

    NSP I can relate to your expression of your struggle and suffering to a remarkable degree. It seems likely to me that you are also intensely intellectual, sensitive individual, have struggled with trauma which has lead you to dysfunctional coping mechanisms summarised more or less well by AvPD among other labels. I am guessing one of my and your chief spiritual struggles may be idleness, apathy and despondency which lead to the condition described by the Fathers as Acedia. I know there is a tremendous amount of Orthodox literature on the topic of Acedia, (which I have not engaged with), I do wonder if you have read material on the topic though?

    I would be more than willing to correspond with you personally via email about these and other things and I do believe the wisdom and experience I have gained through overcoming my issues may be of aid to you. I suspect you maybe rather isolated in your struggle (symptomatic of the condition), it took me a long time to find the right people to connect and share my troubles with (first online, then later in person). Also I think I will be able to point you to some valuable psychological resources. I looked for advice in many places to overcome my problems, but only a few could offer the specific, pointed, practical information I needed to confront the root of my struggles. Modern psychology is a mixed bag but it is worth finding the gems that unlock the door for you to move forward on your unique path. There are many traps in turning to spiritual material to heal deeply psychological problems, but both are necessary and have their place and context. Forgive me for my boldness, I literally just learned today that it is not a virtue but a vice. I do believe however that some version of boldness would be a virtue if it is tempered by humility, gentleness and meekness.

    I confess that I love quotes so I will end my message by two I found recently on humility which touch me deeply,

    “Woe to our times: we now depart from the narrow and sorrowful path leading to eternal life and we seek a happy and peaceful path. But the merciful Lord leads many people from this path, against their will, and places them on the sorrowful one. Through unwanted sorrows and illnesses we draw closer to the Lord, for they humble us by constraint, and humility, when we acquire it, can save us even without works, according to St. Isaac the Syrian.”

    And the second one,

    God’s grace always assists those who struggle, but this does not mean that a struggler is always in the position of a victor. Sometimes in the arena the wild animals did not touch the righteous ones, but by no means were they all preserved untouched.

    What is important is not victory or the position of a victor, but rather the labor of striving towards God and devotion to Him.

    Though a man may be found in a weak state, that does not at all mean that he has been abandoned by God. On the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ was in trouble, as the world sees things. But when the sinful world considered Him to be completely destroyed, in fact He was victorious over death and hades. The Lord did not promise us positions as victors as a reward for righteousness, but told us, “In the world you will have tribulation — but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

    The power of God is effective when a person asks for the help from God, acknowledging his own weakness and sinfulness. This is why humility and the striving towards God are the fundamental virtues of a Christian.

    St. John Maximovitch

  6. Fr. Stephen Freeman Avatar

    Anonymo,
    I appreciate your sympathy for NSP. I think, however, it’s good not to rush too far in assuming what someone else’s experience might be. Sometimes, describing how “I overcame my issues” – can be both pre-mature, as well as piling on yet more guilt – “this is something that can be overcome.” You’re young. Whatever you might have learned will face the test of time. Be slow with advice.

  7. Anonymo Avatar
    Anonymo

    Thankyou for the reminder Father, it is something I wrestle with.

  8. Fr. Stephen Freeman Avatar

    Anonymo,
    God give us grace!

  9. NSP Avatar

    Fr. Freeman (and others),

    After a month of searching, I finally got diagnosed with ADHD (along with anxiety, depression, and a host of other personality issues, like bipolar mania, borderline and a few others, apparently owing to struggling with this for my whole life and feeling misunderstood by everyone.) by a clinical psychologist.

    It took me a month because none of the clinical psychologists I could find around my hometown had any experience with adult ADHD. So finally I had to consult online with a psychologist from a big city far away. I did the interview and the tests online. That took around 3 weeks.

    The diagnosis was a relief in itself because now I can distance myself from these behavioural patterns and thoughts by telling myself, “That’s not me, that’s just my ADHD acting up.” Next I have to consult with a psychiatrist for meds and learn the skills needed to “learn to walk with this limp” to whatever extent possible, and to learn to live with what is not changeable.

    So once again I want to thank you for the suggestion you gave me which led to me discovering this. If it had not been for this timely word from you, who knows how many years more I would have been stumbling in the dark not knowing why I needed all the running I could do just to keep in the same place, like the Red Queen said! (In reality I haven’t even managed to keep in the same place!)

    @Anonymo,

    Thank you for your offer. I would be glad to hear what has helped you. How do I get in touch with you?

    -NSP

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Subscribe to blog via email

Support the work

Your generous support for Glory to God for All Things will help maintain and expand the work of Fr. Stephen. This ministry continues to grow and your help is important. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!


Latest Comments

  1. Matthew, There are probably some other articles, but this one, “Has Your Bible Become a Quran?” comes to mind. I…

  2. Hello Matthew and Robert, I totally understand and agree with you both!! I believe these couple of statements from Fr.…

  3. Hello Liz. Your asked: “Is there a passage(s) in the Bible … ?” Would it be safe to say that…

  4. Watching my grandmother’s pastor and church force her to swallow her grief and put on a smile for their benefit…

  5. Janette, The Reformation set in motion a cascade of unintended consequences. In the face of such, we have to remember…


Read my books

Everywhere Present by Stephen Freeman

Listen to my podcast



Categories


Archives