[Excerpted from the Homily on the Sunday of Zacchaeus.]
There are three main steps in the life of the Christian – all of them are necessary.
- A Need. A sense of the gap between how things are and how they should be. This is often caused by a sense of shame, guilt, or helplessness.
- Repentance. A recognition that the real gap between what is and what should be is because of the walls we have built between us and God. Cannot skip this. Turns God into a therapist or Santa Claus. Repentance requires a real change (metanoia). More than a feeling of guilt or shame – it is the letting go of the old way in favor of the new. It is taking off the old man and putting on the new. While baptism is seen as the most powerful example of this, serious Christians do this every day and through regular confession (the baptism of tears).
- A Commitment. There are many who give their lives to Christ in a moment of personal struggle. But what comes next? Many go back to the patterns of the old man. Sure they may struggle for a while, but then they give up.
The life of the Christian is a lifetime struggle. Everyone is called to it because it is God’s desire that every man woman and child is saved from the demons that feed on their souls. Commitment is a fundamental virtue of the Christian life and an indicator of how serious one is about living the Gospel. Alas, it is a virtue that has all but disappeared from our culture and is becoming increasingly scarce in our parishes. Two examples will suffice to show the danger:
- Commitment to family. Fidelity to husband, wife, and children- is now contingent on how difficult things are. This betrays the very notion of commitment and faithfulness, turning our familiar relationships of responsibility into mere fashion statements… fashions we can change with our moods and to keep up with the Joneses.
- Commitment to God. For Christians this has to be lived out in a parish. People who simply drift away because parish life is not convenient are missing the point and betraying their lack of seriousness.
We need role-models of Christian commitment, but they are increasingly hard to find. When you look for a role-model or mentor, don’t look for the Orthodox versions of the “broad phylactories” Christ warned us of; look for those people who have weathered the storms of Christian life within the walls and community of the Church. Having done this, work to become a model of faithfulness and reliability to others.***
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***I do this as a priest, following the examples and advice of those priests who have weathered all the storms with their faith – and their families – intact rather than those who impress with their popularity and skills. I also try to set an example of steadfastness for younger priests. My commitment to the UOC of the USA is not contingent on how convenient it is, it is part of my commitment to Christ himself – to the New Man that (through grace) lives and grows within me.
