Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Acting in Love!

Very Reverend Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org

(Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost)

In today`s Epistle (I Corinthians 16:13-24) our teacher, the Apostle Paul, tells us to do everything in love. Good advice, no? But we might want to ask whether Paul himself is acting in love when we read him saying in this same section: "Whoever does not love the Lord - a curse on him!" Did not Jesus say that we should bless those who curse us? How is this acting in love?

Strange as it seems we can find a valuable clue as to how to act in love from this very expression of anger and condemnation on Paul’s part. That is because Paul is speaking from the heart. He is not playing nice, polite games. He is ANGRY! Why is he so angry, though? It is because he really loves Jesus - loves Him with all his heart and soul!

It might be easier for us to understand this if we were to look at it in this way: Imagine that you have a friend whom you have found to be the best, the wisest, the kindest, the most wonderful splendid person in the world. And then imagine someone bad-mouthing this person, telling lies about him or her, or just saying nasty things in general about your friend. Yes, I think, you would be FURIOUS! Just as Paul was.

Why did Paul love the Lord so much. Remember that Paul had been a violent persecutor of Christians. He was en route to the city of Damascus to lead the persecution there just as he had done in Jerusalem. Suddenly he was confronted with a bright light and in the midst of it a gentle firm Voice asked him why he was persecuting Him - it was the Lord Jesus, identifying Himself with the Christians Paul had had imprisoned and even killed. Jesus did not judge or condemn Paul. Instead He helped him to ask himself a very important question. When Paul found the answer he was healed and restored. He became a new person. The love of Jesus had done it. Paul responded in the very best way possible. He loved the Lord back.

So Paul teaches us that to really be acting in love we need to find this wonderful love of Jesus. A love which respects people’s dignity and integrity. A love which does not make peace with lies or hypocrisy but always persuades us to become the very best people we can be - who we really are: the precious children of the Heavenly Father!

Lets look for this love. One of the best ways is to decide to act and speak as Jesus did. Oh, yes, we will fail in this endeavour over and over. It is not easy to break old habits of fear and selfishness. But even to fail in such a noble undertaking is something great! It is much better than succeeding at the many undertakings of deception, cruelty and arrogance that present themselves so insistently to our attention. It is a great thing to suffer sometimes, if that suffering benefits those we love, and ultimately, our own selves. There is a glory about it.

Why not take up the challenge? Some of the greatest and best people the world has ever known have. Even some who did not have the excellent reason we have: as Orthodox Christians we are committed to believing that He is God Incarnate, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father. Lets follow Him to the Paradise He has won - beginning here upon the earth!

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