I heard a reference this past week to an interview given by Fr. Thomas Hopko (of blessed memory). In the interview[1], he was describing an ecumenical meeting that him and Fr. Paul Lazor attended, in which the question were asked of each denomination: “What is the contribution of Orthodoxy?”
Fr. Paul answered: “Sanity! The world is crazy! People are nuts! St. Anthony the great said back in the 4thcentury that a time will come when people that are insane will say to those who are sane: “You are insane, you are not like us!”
What a word for us to hear, especially this weekend. What does our Orthodox Christian Faith…our relationship with God…our way of life offer to the world?
Sanity…
There was a report in the associated press this past week that found that 70% of Americans are experiencing tremendous anxiety and stress over the presidential election, and who can blame them? Every time you turn on the radio, or flick on the tv, or want to listen to your favorite Orthodox Hymns on Youtube, you are nailed with a 10 second clip of how President Trump is Hitler reincarnated and wants to publicly execute those who are disloyal to him…or how Vice President Harris is going to allow Haitian Migrants to come your back door and shoot your dog “fluffy” (with the guns she wants to outlaw) so they can have a BBQ on your back lawn (which by the way they are now entitled to because they are squatters.)
Absolute insanity dear ones! Even after Tuesday, the world has been and will continue to be absolutely insane! And where do we look to for some stability…some guidance on how to move through these tumultuous weeks? We look to the Church…the rock of stability and the in the middle of our insane lives. As we gear up for the elections this week, I offer you two reminders from the lives of the Saints of which to keep in mind.
1. Remember Your Sanity and Remember Where Glory Belongs
I quoted last week from the psalm that we sang just this morning together: “Put not your trust in princes in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.” If we truly think the world is going to be a “saner” place because our candidate was victorious…then it is us who are the insane ones. There is only one who is due all of our trust…all of our hopes…and all of our faith…and unfortunately, He isn’t on the ballot this week.
One of my favorite stories about “glory and sanity” comes from the life of the newly glorified St. Gabriel of Georgia, who I know many of you have been reading up on. He was a fool for Christ that passed onto eternal life in 1995…but lived in the midst of Communist Georgia during the height of the Soviet Union.
In 1965, Fr. Gabriel, who was never one to tolerate blasphemy, was walking on the streets of Tbilisi on “May Day”. This is the equivalent of our 4th of July…and it was a day with a lot of festivities surrounding the glorification of Lenin and Communism. There was always a massive parade throughout the city that ended in the town square, that was decorated in the symbols of communism. Flags and signs were everywhere. Huge 60 foot (20 meter) banners of Lenin were hung off of buildings, surrounding the main stage where the mayor and other party members would give speeches glorifying communism.
Fr. Gabriel went to the woman who was responsible for cleaning the candle stands in the main Church and asked her for some kerosine and matches. He then snuck up to in the building behind the large banner of Lenin, doused it with kerosine, and lit the match. In the middle of the massive crowds, the entire banner went up in flames with simple Fr. Gabriel standing at the bottom of it.
Fr. Gabriel was immediately tackled by authorities, and taken to Georgia’s Minister of Domestic affairs, who came into the interrogation room and demanded that Fr. Gabriel take his cross off. The saint replied: “If you are man enough, come and take it off yourself!”
Fr. Gabriel was never sent to the firing squad, as would have been the norm for those who dare to defy the party. Instead, according to the official documents, he was diagnosed as insane and a psychopath because “he believes in God and angels”.
What a saint for us to remember this week! I’m not advocating anyone to go and set fire to yard signs after Liturgy, but I am encouraging all of us here today to remember our own sanity. We cannot get wrapped up in glorifying or vilifying these “sons of men”…because in the grand scheme of things, the only savior of our country…the Only One that is due Glory…is the One we are worshiping this morning dear ones. It is He who is in control…and it is our trust in Him that should erase all anxiety and fear that could result from what happens on Tuesday evening.
2.) How am I as an Orthodox Christian supposed to vote?
This question was once asked of St. Paisios, to which he responded: “Vote for the one you believe is best…the one who loves God and our country.” The person who asked St. Paisios this question said: “They are all the same Father”
St. Paisios added: “Well, look here. All olive trees are the same; all of them are affected by the same disease called dakos. However, some are affected 100% by it, others 80% and others 50%. Since we are in need of olive trees, we have to look for the ones that are affected the least. When we go to vote, we should always bear in mind two things: a) how much the candidate loves God and is thus a conscious member of the Church, and b) how much he loves his country and look solely after its interests and not his own.
If any of us uses another criterion to vote, we are acting out of self-interests and is not behaving like a true Christian. Later on, Divine justice will allow us to pay for his mistake.
I bring this stern warning to all of us, that we will be held accountable before God not on who we vote for…but on how we vote dear ones. Do we enter the voting booth with a personal bias or agenda? Or do we enter into the booth saying the Jesus Prayer, crossing ourselves before we fill our votes, and asking God to guide us so that His will might be done.
This week, above all else, keep your sanity dear ones. Remember Who is in control, and in all things, pray not that “my will be done”…but rather “Thy will be done.”
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySgNWCuxjNQ