Radical love

In todays world, so caught up in the Corona virus and the tragic mess of the US socio-political issues, we as Christians should be beacons of light and love. Sadly, often, it is we who are negative or even hateful.

It is important we define the word “love”. Today, in some circles, this word is used to promote ideologies that from a Christian Orthodox perspective are a lie. From that perspective, love is intimately tied to truth, we cannot separate the two. God is Love and Truth, as the scripture teaches us, indicating to us the two are in fact, one.

St. Maria of Paris (Skobtsova), who was killed by the Nazis in a concentration camp in 1945, is a living testimony of this love. By some in the Church, she is viewed upon with suspicion. Why? Because in certain ways, she rebelled against many established “norms”. She questioned a piety that while good and God-pleasing, ignored the suffering of other humans. For St. Maria, the love of God must be accompanied by a love of human, who is created in the image of God. She said, “Piety, piety, but where is the love that moves mountains“. Strong words and still so relevant for us today.

In my late teens, when I turned back to the Christian faith, I rejected a love and passion for politics. I had wanted to study these subjects and have a career in these fields. One day, after reading a lot, I just could not take it any more. I had decided to turn away from this, from politics. I had only two words in my mind, “radical love”, as opposed to the hate and lies I had read. Having been brought up in a Christian home where the faith was barely practiced, the only place I suspected I could find this radical love, was in Christ, who because of love, suffered and died on a cross – that seemed as radical as anything for me at that time!

Mother Maria, as she was affectionally called, was an imitator of the radical love of Christ. Living in a crisis most of us cannot even start to imagine, the Second World War, she was able to be a shining beacon. Caring for all, regardless of their faith or world views. In some ways, she was a rebel and she did question some long established norms, especially those about monastic life. However, I believe that God through His Church, sends us holy people that we need at a time.

Mother Maria provides to us, even today, a challenge. A challenge to find a balance in our spiritual life. To not forget that love for human is in-itself a love for God. It is not something contrary, but one and the same. In our times of deep moral crisis, she is a beacon shining bright. A beacon we as Christians all should strive to be. Firmly grounded in the Truth, who is God Himself, yet with wide open arms to embrace and love every needing person everywhere.

Let us not be afraid, because as Mother Maria teaches us,

Christ, who approached prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners, can hardly be the teacher of those who are afraid to soil their pristine garments, who are completely devoted to the letter, who live only by the rules, and who govern their whole life according to rules.

Rules are important, so are practices, but without radical love, they mean little.

The paradox of the Nativity

As most Orthodox Christians celebrate the Great Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ – Christmas – these days, it is only fitting to reflect on this salvific moment in history. What better way to do that than with the help of the great poet-theologian, St. Ephrem the Syrian.

Old Russian Icon of the Nativity of Christ

St. Ephrem in his writings loves paradoxes. He often rejects the classical philosophical approach of many of the Church fathers, instead focusing on the symbolic one, which often provide a series of paradoxial opposites. Writing about the incarnation and the Nativity of Christ, this is clear. Brock gives examples used by St. Ephrem to comment on the incarnation: “the Rich One who became poor”, “the Great who became small” and “the Hidden One who revealed himself”^[1].

These paradoxes on the incarnation present to us the picture of God, who in His love for us, humbles Himself. In order so that we can be saved, he Himself becomes a small and vulnerable child. St. Ephrem writes in his poem/hymn on the Nativity,

“The Mighty One entered, and put on insecurity from her womb (…) He who gives drink to all entered – and experienced thirst”^[2].

It is a wonderful and poetic statement, which also presents to us the paradox of the incarnation which is theologically sound. In the same hymn, St. Ephrem writes,

“He who is the Word entered – and became silent within her; thunder entered her – and made no sound”^[3].

Again, we see a wonderful poetic interpretation of the paradoxes of the incarnation.

Highest, became lowest. Word, became silent. Thunder, made no sound.

St. Ephrem is very clear in his theological understanding that the depths of the faith cannot be simply understood intellectually, but rather, one needs faith. One needs to look with the eye of the soul. Our rational intellect very often has trouble understanding the paradoxes of our Holy Faith, and especially the incarnation. When discussing this with Muslims for instance, one will see that they most often cannot allow themselves (intellectually) to accept a notion that the Master freely became a Servant, that the Strongest freely became the Weakest – they claim it is illogical.

St. Ephrem would most likely agree with such a statement, that it is indeed illogical. He would see a logical approach, which tries to define the faith too much, as us setting up boundaries on the Boundless God.

The Church often describes the Virgin Mary as being “more spacious than the heavens”. Why? Because in her womb, she carried the Creator of the heavens and earth, the One that cannot be contained, Whose birth we today glorify.

Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One, O Lord, glory to Thee!

^[1] Brock, Sebastian. The Luminous Eye: The Spiritual World of Saint Ephrem”, p. 25

^[2] St. Ephrem the Syrian, Nativity 11:6-8.

^[3] Ibid.

India

Fields outside Nagpur, Maharashtra region.

I was blessed to be able to visit India a few weeks ago. I visited the South, Kerala region, and Nagpur in the centre of India. I gave there lectures at two theological seminaries. But that is not what I will write about.

Instead, I want to share an experience.

India, as most know, is a rather poor country. Whatever the reason, is not the focus of this text.

Growing up in “the west”, I have been spoiled to have most things I have ever wanted, even if I don’t actually need most of these things.

The poverty in India is in some cases extreme, unimaginable really. While visiting the slums in Nagpur, it was hard to keep tears away and the feeling of hopelessness invaded my heart – I felt ashamed and empty. However, what I experienced there, changed me.

The people I met, poor people, some almost naked with no earthly possessions, gave me a gift. A gift more valuable than any earthly item, more valuable than any amount of gold and more precious than any diamond.

They gave me love and kindness. One word, one smile, directed at me, a complete stranger. The gift of kindness and love, given by those that by our standards have nothing. Yet, now I know and I am sure – they are richer than I ever will be. God is Love, and even if these simple people don’t “know it”, they live it and they share it, from their hearts.

We, in the developed Western world have all but forgotten this most precious thing we can, we must, share with others.

God forgive us.