Ss. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, Union Dale, Pennsylvania
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We have all heard Christ’s words from St. Luke’s Gospel since we were small children. Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
It is commonly called the Golden Rule. We call it that not because obedience to the rule makes one wealthy. No, we call it Golden because it is the rule that incorporates all the other rules within it.
We know it – but do we really know it? We can recite the words, no problem. Not even a second thought.
However, because this rule is so important, we should perhaps give that second thought.
Christ explains the rule. He reminds us that there is nothing special about loving those that love us. It isn’t challenging. It isn’t really even hard.
But loving our enemies? Those that hate us?
Think of the tropar we sing as Pascha, the part that says, “Let us call ‘Brothers’ even those that hate us …”
This is the part that gets challenging.
For a moment, let’s contemplate the Love of the Father toward us. We spoke about it a couple of weeks ago, when the Gospel reading was from St. John the Theologian: “For God so loved the world …”
That world that God so loved – and loves – is you, and me. We think we deserve God’s love. We think we are entitled to God’s love.
But we don’t, and we aren’t. We don’t deserve God’s love. God created us, gave us life, and asked for only one thing in return – our love. And we go and put ourselves and our wants and desires before those of our Creator.
Sometimes when I look at humanity, at the world we live in, I am amazed that God has kept His promise not to wipe us off the face of the Earth.
Try to imagine when your beloved – your child – disappoints you, or intentionally hurts you. When that child ignores you. When that child is hateful toward you.
Now, imagine how God, our Father, the one who gave us life, feels when we ignore Him for a movie, or a football game, or a television show. When we trudge to our prayer corner and rush through some prayers. Or worse, when we fail to pray at all. We skip vespers to attend a party, or we skip Church to spend a day on the lake.
Don’t get me wrong – I thank God for each and every one of you that has made the effort to be here this morning. But is that really enough?
Is anything enough?
Brothers and sisters, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, we can do that adequately responds to God’s gift to us. At a minimum – an absolute minimum – we can do what little he asks us to do. Love. Do Good. Lend, without even expecting to be repaid. As someone with an accounting and finance background, that last one is so very challenging for me!
He asks us to love each other, and to love everyone, yes, even those that hate us.
How can we love someone that hates us?
Perhaps we should start by not hating them. Then move to tolerating them. Maybe then liking them. Maybe a good place to start is to pray for them.
There is an exercise we can try. It won’t take much of our time, nor even much effort on our part.
If you would join me, this afternoon, take a sheet of paper and a pen and write down the name of every person that you don’t like. Every person that doesn’t like you. Every person who has been mean to you, or hurt you. Every person you’ve argued with.
Then, pray for them. Ask God to bless them. Ask God to allow you to see the struggles and fears and disappointments of these people. Then, speak their names. Stand before your icons, perhaps light a candle or lampada, and recite the names on your list, one at a time. Do this every evening this week. Even if – or, especially if – you don’t mean it.
One may ask why we should do this. The answer is found at the end of the Gospel. We do this because this is the way Children of God behave. This is what Children of God do. They love, even those who are unkind and evil, and unthankful. They do good, to express not their own feelings, but God’s love for them.
But mostly we do it because God loves us, even as unworthy and unlovable as we are.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – One God.
Bogoslov 