This simple confession is the
foundation of the Orthodox Christian faith. We believe completely and
absolutely in one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who created
us, loves us, and saves us. In the beginning, God created the heavens
and the earth. (Gen 1:1) But why? Was it because God desired
“things” to play with and a world full of slaves? Far from in! God
– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is a Trinity of divine persons,
existing in an eternal relationship of love.
Another key piece to this puzzle is that humans were created in God’s
likeness and according to God’s image (Gen 1:27). Even though we are
imperfect reflections of God’s image, it is clear from our experience
that love – true love – is meant to be shared. This is true of human
love, and even more true of God’s infinite love. God created the world
and humans to share in the boundless riches of divine love. In short, we
were created out of love for the purpose of sharing love.
The earth
is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. (Ps 33:5)
Christian history records that in spite of God’s generous display of
love, humans (symbolized by Adam and Eve) chose to pursue their own
desires rather than to love and respect their creator. But even this
rejection could not extinguish God’s love. God continued to care for
the earth and it’s people, finally making a covenant with Abraham and
his descendants, promising to protect and bless them if only they would
dedicate themselves to a loving relationship with their divine creator
and benefactor (Gen 17).
The story of Israel is, alas, filled with suffering and oppression, but
in spite of all the evils that came upon them, God’s chosen people
recognized that the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord and
that God continued to watch and protect those who hope in his steadfast
love (Ps 33).
God’s
love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the
world so that we might live through him. (1 Jn 4:9)
As we know from our own experience, true and intense love wants
direct, intimate contact with the person loved. God so loved creation
and humans, that God entered creation physically in the person of Jesus
– God became flesh and lived among us (Jn 1:14). Some Christians teach
that Jesus came into the world because of human sinfulness, but the
Orthodox Church believes that even if humans had not chosen to reject
God’s love, Jesus Christ – the eternal Son of God and God himself
– would have become human to unite creator and creation in a bond of
love.
Jesus died on the cross. True, this was a natural result of sin, since
death came through sin (Rom 5:12), sin exercised dominion in death (Rom
5:21), and the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). Death was not part of
God’s plan for us (God always wanted us to have eternal life), but
since it became a reality, God responded in a loving way. Christ died
because death is an undeniable part of human existence, and God loves
humans so much that he was compelled (by love!) to experience humanity
in all its dimensions. If Jesus had not tasted death, God’s union to
humans would have been incomplete and imperfect.
“ I came that they may have life, and
have it abundantly.” (Jn 10:10)
Jesus’ brutal death on the Cross, however, is not the end of
the story. On Easter morning, a group of women approached Jesus’ tomb
and saw two angelic beings who asked them “Why do you seek the living
among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” (Lk 24:5) The gospel
according to John proclaims that in Jesus was life (Jn 1:4) and Jesus
himself declared “I am . . . life.” (Jn 14:6). Although humans
rejected God’s love and invited suffering and death into creation,
Jesus Christ – truly God and truly human – proved that God’s love
is superior to death. Rising on the third day, Jesus shattered
completely the power of death, proving that God’s love is superior to
everything.
Now you are
the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Cor 12:27)
God’s powerful love did not end with the historical person of
Jesus Christ. The source of infinite love is eternally available to the
world through those who have become one with Christ – the Church. He
used the image of a vine and branches to describe his relationship with
believers. “I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who abide in
me and I in them bear much fruit” (Jn 15:5) If we maintain this type
of close relationship with Jesus, the divine love that empowered his
saving ministry will flow through us, filling our lives with love and
enabling us to bear the fruits of God’s infinite love.
What the world needs now is love, sweet
love.
This popular song from the 60s is, perhaps, more true today
than ever before. One simply has to look around to see the powers of
evil and death at work in our society. But this is not a cause for
despair. Believers are able to remember Christ’s triumph over death
and ground their faith in God’s steadfast love.
True, people continue to reject God’s love every day – sin is
nothing more than failure to develop relationships of love between
ourselves, others, and God. But our merciful Savior is ready to welcome
us back into healthy and loving relationships.
As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Gal
3:27). Not only do Christians bear the name of their Lord and Savior,
they have been grafted onto the vine of Christ and bear Christ before
all people. God is light and life and the members of God’s Church are
called to let their light shine before others (Mt 5:16), dispelling the
darkness of evil and death, filling all of creation with divine light,
love, and life.
Come and
see. (Jn 1:46)
The Orthodox Church steadfastly sees itself as the Body of
Christ, the true Church. We believe that our Church has maintained and
handed down the Christian faith, free from error and distortion, from
the days of the Apostles. Although no human organism is perfect, the
Church continues to maintain a vital relationship to God, empowered by
the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s loving presence in the world.
You are cordially invited to visit the Orthodox Church near you, to
learn more about our rich history and theology, and to experience
God’s healing love.
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