Shownotes for Thanksgiving, 2010
Lesson:
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4: 1-6)
• God is omnipotent, but He did not become man to give us power.
o You will gain power (the saints certainly did), but not the kind people want. It’s not the kind that makes folks rich or popular.
o Simon Magus wanted to use Christ to gain the kind of power most people want. But Christianity is not magic or witchcraft. It is not about spells and manipulation. Nor is it about getting rich.
o We do not need power to find peace and joy.
• God is omniscient, but He did not establish the Church to give us answers.
o Scripture is not a science book or a secret code.
o Fundamentalists. Gnostics. Bible Codes. Not the purpose of Scripture.
o We do not need answers to find peace and joy.
• God is perfect love; He offered Himself to us so that we might have and share that love.
o We need this far more than power or answers. It is the thing that gives purpose to power and meaning to knowledge.
o We need this precisely because we lack it. If you are already perfect in love, then Christ makes it clear: He has nothing to offer you.
o But I think that if we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we have either never truly tried to love; or that when we have, we have eventually given up/run out.
o God became man so that we might offer ourselves completely – this is what love does – to one another, to our friends and family, to our enemies, and to God himself. He is the perfect source – with Him in us and us in Him, we will never run out of love.
• The Gadarenes did not have this kind of love.
o Regular people. This man was someone’s child. You know they tried to get him well. Having tried everything, you know they believed they would give up everything for him to be well. But finally, they gave up, put him into chains and under guard. What else were they to do? Surely they are blameless in this.
o They were until the cure actually came. Then their true commitment became clear; rather than rejoicing in the salvation of a man they had come to loath and fear, they lamented the cost of the cure. This may be what we call “love”, but it is a mockery of the true thing.
• Real love does not ask “what will it cost me”; it asks “how can we make this happen”.
o Do not look to the people around you to see what love requires (unless you look to the icons): look to Christ.
o The Gaderenes thought they knew what love required. But their love was constrained; in a box. Defined by everyday cares and the people around them. They could only do what love required if it did not cost too much. They could not love outside the box of their own fallen limitations.
o This is not the way God loves. Christ knew what it would cost to do what love required. He humbled himself to live a mortal life. He humbled Himself to speak in a finite tongue so that we might understand. He paid the cost of suffering and death on the cross. He paid everything because that is what it took to get things done. He paid everything so that, through our union with Him, we would be able to do what love requires.
• God has made real love possible… now it is our turn.
o Will we forsake the sacrifice love requires because it costs us too much?
o Or will we roll up our sleeves and figure out how to get the things done that need to be done. We are not selfish cowards. We are Christians. We will get things done.
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Mail:
Thanks to the new listeners who have written in and expressed their appreciation: God bless you (and spread the word!). Also one listener has already taken advantage of the ability to use the OrthoAnalytika voice mail ((401) 405 – 1116). You should feel free to do the same!
Q. Do you really believe in aliens and ghosts?
A. I am a skeptic who knows there is more to the world than can usually be sensed. I have learned not to trust my own opinions and perceptions, but to allow Orthodoxy to shape them. As such, I am ambivalent about the existence of aliens and ghosts. However, since allowing Orthodoxy to guide my perceptions and knowledge, I have gone from wonder to wonder and now live in a place that is full of things both glorious and terrible. While this world is different from the mundane matrix most folks inhabit, I think it is the real world. Orthodoxy is the red pill.
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Q. I really enjoy your podcasts on the paranormal. I was wondering what the Bible and your [ed. Orthodox] tradition has to say about zombies?
A. Who doesn’t love a good zombie story? The perils of man controlling nature, setting himself up as a god (without wisdom). The survivors seeking to remain human against overwhelming odds. These are great themes that resonate with the Christian heart.
As for Biblical accounts, there are some intriguing possibilities, but first we have to be specific: there are two types of zombies in the popular literature:
- Re-animated dead. These are bodies that have been given movement, but lack the “breath of God”. As such, they are not persons. They are driven by a desire to feed on the living.
- The infected living. This is a recent addition to the zombie lore, but allows us to put movies like “I am Legend”, “Serenity”, and “28 Days Later” in with more traditional accounts like “Dawn of the Dead”, “Return of the Living Dead”, “The Walking Dead” and “Re-Animator”. These are still persons, but ones who have no self-discipline and, like the re-animated dead, are controlled by their desire to feed on the living.
These requirements mean that the resurrection account of Christ is disqualified, as is the revivification of Lazarus, Tabitha, Jarius’ daughter, the widow’s son, etc.. We also have exclude the saints who came out of the graves at Christ’s resurrection: it is a perversion of the truth (and blasphemous) to associate positive accounts of the immortalizing effects of love of God with zombie folklore. The same must also be said of two other strong candidates: the dry bones of Ezekiel 37 and the account of the two witnesses in Revelation (11:8-11) God puts His spirit back in them; they put terror into their observers, but not because they are zombies!) (ditto for 1 Samuel 2:6, Hosea 13:14, and every other prophesy of the Resurrection).
Something else worth remembering is the horror that such a thing would have been for the Jews: the bodily remains of the dead were defiled and defiling; there would have been a deep visceral reaction to the motivated undead. Ditto for the infected living (would they set up colonies like they did for lepers?).
So where does that leave us? While there are other stories that can be interpreted in the light of zombies and the zombie apocalypse (e.g. Revelation 9:6, Psalm 87-4-6; Isaiah 65:4) there are two that I would like to bring to your attention today:
- Zechariah: 14:12-13. (A possible zombie apocalypse at the end times?)
And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem:
Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet,
Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets,
And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.
It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, and raise his hand against his neighbor’s hand.
- Psalm 26: 1-2. (The protection of God)
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
That’s pretty much it. So, while I would argue that Orthodoxy – and scripture – have nothing specific to say about the probability or quality of a zombie apocalypse, we do know that our strength is in the Lord, and that He will deliver us out of every danger and affliction.
However, having said all that, we do have a listener who left this voice message on the OrthoAnalytika Google Voice (401- 405 – 1116). It seems he heard our shows on UFO’s and wanted to make sure we knew that aliens and berserker zombies were part of the same demonic deception. He seems to represent a certain subculture, so I am going to play his message in full:
(Transcript of message, cleaned up from Google Voice)
Hello Fr. Anthony. This is your buddy Stargazer. Thanks for the shows on aliens, but you missed something important. Your listeners need to know the whole truth. There is a link, hinted at in Genesis 6 and again in Enoch and Jubilees, between the Nephalim (the offspring of women and the sons of God), the Tower of Babel, the life of David, and the living dead.
Genesis 6 says that God was weary of man’s flesh – why? Because it was infected with wickedness… literally! The Nephalim weren’t the only result of genetic engineering: The Shining Ones/Watchers taught men how to manipulate life to their own ends. Men also did this to themselves. As Jubilees says (5:3), “All flesh was corrupted”; only Noah and his family remained truly human. Jubilees also said that they then began to eat one another (5:2). They had been infected by a mutant zombie virus! A complete zombie apocalypse of the entire world was only avoided by the flood. Unfortunately, some things survived the flood. The devils (sons of god) were chained in Tartarus and the Nephalim were drowned, but the souls of the Nephalim remained. Some became incorporeal demons, but others found bodies (led by Mastema). Some may even have avoided the flood altogether.
Regardless, they corrupted man once again, encouraging him to develop/rediscover the sorts of technology (as in the old writings that Cainan found) that would make them immortal and take them all the way to heaven (this was the Tower of Babel). God thwarted that one, too. He had to scatter the people to keep them from bringing about another zombie apocalypse with their genetic research.
Later, you know that the Israelites continued to fight survivors of the Nephalim race (tribes ranging from the Anakims to the Zamzummins)… this is in every Bible. But what you may not know is that some of these tribes were cannibals with insatiable blood-lust! It was after King David’s encounters with these that he composed his 27th Psalm:
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the berserkers came against me to eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. [26: 1-2; he used the Hebrew numbering]
The point of this Psalm is made clear in chapters 3 and 13 of the “Testament of David” [sic] and in Psalm 195:
The Testament of David, Chapter 3 (sorry about the translation – it’s still in draft form) [sic]: The 24-fingered berserkers rose up from the barren land of Nephil by Canaan where I was grazing my flock; The sheep I had taken to pasture became afraid; I had slewn the lion with one smooth stone, a bear with another, but my quiver ran empty against these undying foes; there was none to help me; my only companion was death; his minions pursued me through the valley where his shadow lay; a cave was my only refuge, my last home for comfort; One sheep I left out for Azazel and his kin for their devouring; then I wandered deep into the abyss, always wary to avoid the leprous bites of the mutant ones; for three days we endured the wailing of death from without; there was no light, our pursuers came upon us continually, gorging on the slow and weak; we were all but lost to madness and despair, our hope was at an end; But the Lord gives strength to those who fear Him; He gave us new life; He sent us the light of His Shining One, our deliverer, who led us out and offered a ransom for our salvation; The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked come against me to eat up my flesh, He denied them; He took me into the tomb and brought me out new; This is the salvation of them who serve Him.
The Testament of David, Chapter 13 [sic]: Alas for the mistress’ foul deed, compelled by Saul; she called the spirit of Samuel and it came up from the ground; a nephil-spirit who mocked living and dead alike; he told of Saul’s demise, then freed by the spirit-whore’s incantation, sought his undying cannibal kin and their mutant spawn; over desolate places he roamed till he found them; his spirit enraged them more, until they, the berserker vanguard of the Philistines, routed Saul’s army; they ate their hearts and gorged on their brains and the city was theirs; Despondent Saul – possessed once again by his sullen demon – ran himself through with a sword; but the never-sated demons still feasted on him and his sons; there is no respite from the undying; no hope left for the living; but God gives strength to those who fear Him; He protected David and let him escape; God is the Light and Protection of those that fear Him; He will deliver them from the teeth of the undying, their heart from the gullet of the Watchers.
Psalm 195 [sic]: When the Lord struck down the enemies of Zion, we became like those who are at peace. Then our mouth was filled with joy, and our tongues with exceeding joy. His Metatron took the undying Grigori, the berserkers of Satanail, offspring of the Shining Ones; in the sixth heavens may they, too, learn perfect praise. Do good, O Lord, to the good, and to the upright in heart. But to those who turn nature towards perversion, The Lord leads away with the workers of lawlessness. Peace be upon the Israel of God.
So you have three groups working against Israel: the fallen angels, their offspring, and the genetic mutants of man. Christ tells us that their war against us will come to a final climax at the end days. Here is a red letter quote: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (St. Matthew 24: 37-39).
So we MUST be vigilant and prepare for the inevitable coming of the zombie apocalypse, not just the demonic alien deception you hinted at in your podcasts; they are part and parcel of the same thing!
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I had to call Stargazer back and find out where he had gotten all that material. He said he was a researcher into the paranormal. When pushed, he said that he did most of his research on the internet. I checked out his claims about Enoch and Jubilee, and the things he said could, with some imagination, be read into the text; but I could find nothing in any of my book on the Testament of David or Psalm 195. They did not seem to be from Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls) or Nag Hammadi. When I asked him about his sources for these, he talked about the great deposit of leather manuscripts and history sticks at Avalon, West Virginia (!).
Much of what he said was incoherent, but he claimed that these and other things were found in a secret cave temple complex that had been used by the disciples of Saint Brendan, the founder of Holy Orthodoxy in America. This temple and associated living spaces had evidently been deserted from about the 17th century, when, according to local legends, the descendants of Madog ab Owain Gwynedd, the protector of Orthodoxy in America, moved from that area to an unspecified area of Appalachia to join some distant cousins who had settled there.
He regretted that he could not share copies or photos of this great find – which allegedly also includes all but untranslatable fragments from the ancient “Zombie Apocalypse of Zechariah” – until after copyrights had been established and the book was published.
I’m not holding my breath – and neither should you! I think it’s all ridiculous nonsense (but all in good fun).
So back to the original question: while zombies may or may not be part of the trials and tribulations before the world is remade, you should rest assured that whatever comes, God is your salvation – so what can possible scare you? (paraphrase of Psalm 26:1).
Message from a priest who heard of our podcast (Fr. Vasily Vasilich).
Dear Fr. Anthony,
As we move into Pilipivka (ed. Holy Advent/Nativity Fast), the great fast that prepares us for the coming of the Sun of Righteousness, we must ensure that we devote more of our energies and resources to serving those less fortunate than ourselves. In order to help you in this important obligation, I offer this uniquely Orthodox charity opportunity to you and your listecers. It is the opportunity to help some of those who serve us in our parishes, but who suffer tremendously by a sort of defect that limits their godpleasingness. I am, of course, speaking of beardless clergy.
I, Fr. Vasily Vasilich came up with this idea after my dear matushka grew and donated her hair to Locks of Love. I was so moved by her generosity that I wanted to do something similar. Alas, am all but bald, but, being an Orthodox priest from the heart of the very old country deep in the woods, I have a magnificent, long, scraggly, and entirely Pravoslavyanski [sic] beard. It is at least as long as matushka’s hair had been!
Alas, Locks of Love was not interested in my beard, so I tried to find someone who could benefit from my offering. At the next Orthodox Clergy Fellowship meeting in the town I serve (one which has an amazing number of parishes, most of them quite peaceful) this epiphany came to me: it was obvious by the baby-faces that shone around me at this meeting that some poor priests were incapable of growing beards! “Tis outrageous calamity”, I thought to myself: “I must help them.”
I invite you (although I hear that this defect is rampant among our brothers in your diocese – perhaps you, too, are afflicted!) and your listeners to join me in donating at least a portion of their beards to our suffering priests this Pilipivka.
With peace from your priestly servant, Rev. Vasily Vasilich
One last piece of correspondence for this week (I’ll get to the others in future shows):
Q. I am the leader of ___ Ghost Hunting group. What advice can you give to me? What advice can you give to the sensitives in my group?
A. Don’t mess with this. Start with the basics: learn to love God. He already loves you, so it shouldn’t be hard. Once you have done that, learn to love your neighbor. Again, most of them are nice, so while it won’t be as easy, it’s an easy step. Once you have done those things, then move on to loving your enemy. By then, you will have realized how inadequate your own will, mind, and “sensitivities” are. You will either have given up or found the only one who can sustain such things: Christ Himself. It takes most of our saints at least a lifetime to even begin to master these tasks, but if you – with the help of God – manage to master them before you die; once you manage to love every person on this earth without hesitation or reservation… by all means, you have my blessing to turn your attentions beyond this world. But by then, you will have little need for the blessing of such as I, for I am still beginning the first of the steps you have already completed.
For a more complete answer to this question, I highly recommend Fr. Maximos’ blog entry on the matter: “Ghost Hunting and Christianity: are they compatible?” We really have to get him on the show.
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Book and Movie reviews:
If you are interested in the themes covered in recent shows, then there are two books that I would bring to your attention (one with reservations).
Entangled, by Graham Hancock. Like avatar, but with psychedelic drugs and shamanism serving as the mechanism of travel/discovery. What I liked about it was the clever story line: a combination of spiritual warfare (complete with angels and demons), anthropology, time travel, and spunky lead characters. What I didn’t like was the reliance on drugs. Some may also be bothered by the pagan worldview, but if you were okay with Avatar, then you should be okay with this. I recommend it with reservations. I think that Hancock is right that using fiction is more effective at getting certain ideas across than is pseudo-scientific investigation (as per his previous books on topics ranging from the history of the Arc of the Covenant to the ancient history of mythical civilizations.
The Façade, by Michael S. Heiser. I have quoted/paraphrased this author on this show many times, to you know that I respect his work as a biblical scholar and commentator. The Façade allows him to present his research on The Divine Council, the Nephalim, UFO’s, and government conspiracies to a wider audience. As with Entangled, I think this is a useful approach and that the book succeeds. The plot of the book is about a group of researchers who get kidnapped to participate in a secret government program to prepare Americans for complete disclosure regarding the existence of aliens. What they learn is that the truth behind the program and their involvement is far more sinister. Michael Heiser is not Orthodox, but this is an entirely Christian and well-researched book. It is also a fun read.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Our family knows the books and movies really well; this is one of the best adaptations yet. They got lots of things right: Ron’s moodiness, fit, and redemption; the fun at the ministry; the danger of being in resistance. Of course you can’t include every thing, but there were two omissions that bothered both Pani Tina and I: first, Dudley was not allowed to show his repentance and growth; second, they did not read the inscription on the Potter’s grave; “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26). I guess we should just be relieved that they kept it on the gravestone at all! I do hope that they keep the Christian themes of repentance, sacrifice, and resurrection in the final movie.
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News:
The Show Notes are now on Blogger! Please check it out, link to it, and (finally) comment!
Also, feel free not just to e-mail me with comments (father.anthony@yahoo.com), you can also leave me a voice message on my Google Voice account: (401) 405 – 1116. This is neat because I can download your message and play it on the show (as we did with “Stargazer” and “Fr. Vasily”). If you don’t mumble, Google Voice also provides a transcript (it wasn’t a lot of help with Stargazer or Fr. Vasily – I ended up typing most of theirs up myself).
Commemoration of the Holodomor (and Thanksgiving).
Fr. James Early is back with his Ancient Faith Radio; “Teach Me They Statutes“. Welcome back, Fr. James (nice beard, BTW – did Fr. Vasily send that to you?).
Taliban Leader in Secret Talks was an Imposter (NYTimes). Oops. Yet another reason not to be all that hopeful about us being able to influence the future of Afghanistan in any big positive way.
Nazis were Given ‘Safe Have’ in U.S., Report Says (NYTimes). No kidding. But were they really behind all the UFO sightings? And if so, was it through technology or occultism (both are Nazi specialties).
Tolkein was an Anarchist… and so is David B. Hart! (First Things) At least I’m in good company (no bomb throwers here, just a realistic assessment of the utility of government and the salvific quality of community).
We did it first! Russian Orthodox Church allows use of condoms (Interfax). Despite this (or perhaps as a demonstration of independence), the birth rate is increasing all across Ukraine (but is still lower than the death rate).
Huffington Post “religion” section remains a good place to find thoughtful articles. Here’s “Lost Christian Language for Repairing the Person“. It’s a bit of an inside joke: this language (e.g. nous, theosis, logismoi) aren’t lost at all, something the author, Scott Cairns, knows very well. I hope more Orthodox writers take advantage of venues like this to spread the word!
The Catholics need more exorcists! I wonder how the two-day training event went!
Orthodox Church News:
Lots of dirty laundry coming out about the Antiochian Diocese: if you must pay attention to such things, remember to be charitable. Priests are not removed simply for posting to the internet or wearing cassocks. There is always more going on behind the scenes, and it does no good (especially for priests) to over-react and sensationalize things (even among “friends” on Facebook). Nonetheless, I have to agree with this anonymous priest: surveys conclusively show that people will no longer follow religious leaders and traditions out of blind obedience. Rightly or wrongly, nowadays, If a bishop or priest is perceived as being a tyrant, he must either explain his actions to his flock’s satisfaction, repent, or admit that he has released them to the wolves – because they will leave.
Meaning no disrespect, but I think it is worth pointing out that, His Beatitude, Metropolitan Philip’s claim to be “the only Orthodox bishop in America that has welcomed converts with open arms” is so greatly exaggerated as to be absurd. All it would take would be one bishop here who welcomes converts with open arms… I know several. Such self-serving public hyperbole is not helpful and diminishes Orthodoxy’s credibility and witness here. The same goes for many of the things His Beatitude said about other bishops and dioceses and Churches in his interview on Ancient Faith Radio. Again, charity demands that we refrain from judging another’s intentions or character – but not necessarily from describing strange public behavior and warning of its probable consequences (as long as such is done objectively and with love). Most of all, we pray. This is a difficult time for many within the Antiochian Diocese: may the Lord strengthen and preserve them.
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Vol’ya (Freedom) Moment:
[see ccel.org, bibleindex.org, (for Patristic exegesis) and Michael Heiser’s “Divine Council” (for linguistic analysis) site for more on Psalm 81.]
Talk a bit about Angels, and especially about those who fell. Very little is known (and far less is known dogmatically), but what we do know is amazing and testifies to the wonder of this world and power, majesty, and love of the God who created it.
·Example: angels are powerful. single-minded. awesome…. but still our beloved
oassigned to us as guardians. assigned to nations as protectors. we are not the center of their world: God is. But love compels them to care for us.
·Note the juxtaposition: they are mighty, but they choose to serve the lesser out of compassion. We have a lot to learn from their example.
Do you see how this speaks to the power and love of God? They are following the example that He Himself set for them. Perfectly powerful. Perfectly righteous. Completely flawless in intent and in action. But (Philippians 2:6) instead of choosing to celebrate perfection and righteousness simply by surrounding Himself with it:
HE COMES TO SERVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE REJECTED RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHO HAVE REJECTED HIM. WHO NEITHER RESPECT HIM NOR APPRECIATE HIS EFFORTS.
Like Him, the angels give up what seems to be their natural reward. They leave the glorious throne of the Most High for what? To care for people who reject truth and sacrifice at every turn.
There were angels – Satan and his allies – who saw God’s example (His willingness to humble Himself for beings that were so utterly undeserving) as humiliating and refused to follow suit. Satan set himself up as the judge and ruler of the world (Isaiah 14). He knew a way that was better than God’s, a way that would recognize greatness with respect and crown glory with dignity.
But he was wrong. The world is not built on a foundation of pride and judgment. It is built on the foundation of love. And love is more powerful than any other way.
He and those like him saw no need to protect the weak or help the poor, and so they set themselves up for defeat: for not only is love the greatest power, it is also the only source of immortality:
Here we have the most high God judging those angels and gods that would reject a way of sacrificial love (paraphrased for clarity):
God presides in the great assembly; He renders judgment among the gods (elohim): “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. “[You] ‘gods’ know nothing, [you] understand nothing. [You] walk about in darkness; [and as a result] all the foundations of the earth are shaken. “I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But [because you have rejected the way of righteousness] you will die like mere mortals; and like one of the rulers [Shining Ones?] you fall.” Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance. [Psalm 81].
That account from the Prophet David is expanded by the one given in Isaiah (14:9-15); “
The realm of the dead below is all astir
to meet you at your coming;
it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—
all those who were leaders in the world;
it makes them rise from their thrones—
all those who were kings over the nations.
They will all respond,
they will say to you,
“You also have become weak, as we are;
you have become like us.”
All your pomp has been brought down to the grave,
along with the noise of your harps;
maggots are spread out beneath you
and worms cover you.
How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.
Another, perhaps more familiar verse from Revelation, summarizes the various accounts of the result of Satan’s rebellion scattered throughout the scriptures:
Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Revelation 12: 7-9).
Satan and his kind refused to sacrifice themselves for those they considered unworthy of their attention. They tried to create a different order, one based on a more logical way of doing things; a meritocracy where the lower paid homage to the greater and the greater simply basked in the glow of their own splendor. There would be no need for humility because there was nothing below one’s self worthy of action.
But this is not God’s way. And all those who follow him reject such pride and continually sacrifice themselves for those around them, regardless of their perceived worth or merit.
But Satan still has his followers. I don’t mean that they have pentagrams inscribed on their altars or offer blood sacrifices to the devil. Some may, but most are believe in him and his way in the same way true Christians believe in Christ and follow His Way.
It is amazing how many – even of those who call themselves Christian – build their relationships – their families, their friendships, even their parishes – not on God’s way, but on the Satanic way. They always consider the worth of the person in need before deciding to help them; they stretch out their hands only to those who are like themselves, or to those would could offer something in return at some future date for their aid; less concerned about the need of the person than the cost to themselves. Satan rules such people as surely as if 666 were marked on their foreheads. The greatest blasphemy is when this occurs in our parishes: when we refuse to open our doors to serve the stranger; when we refuse to humble ourselves to heal petty schisms; when we use our pulpits and our positions to puff ourselves up and defame our enemies; when we come forward to receive harboring ill will towards those around us – even towards our priests! People who act in this way can call themselves what they will, but they have united themselves not to the Christ who gave Himself for the least of these, but to Satan who serves only his own pride and those that will do the same.
God did not spare the angels who chose this way; He judged them and cast them out. Do you think those who reject humility, who reject love, who embrace the ways of the fallen sons of god will be spared?
Reject Satan and all His works. Unite yourself to Christ. Accept the protection and guidance of those people and angels who serve His will. Do this not only because Christ did it first: do it because love compels you.
Christ did not only suffer for us to show us how such things should be done; He suffered so that we would have the strength to do the same. True Christians do not imitate Christ so much as they are empowered and ennobled by Him. They are less imitations of Christ and more Christ Himself: Him in them, them in Him. The body of Christ with Him at its head, with all – angels and men – doing the will of the one who sent Him.
