Each member of this congregation makes up the Body of Christ’s Church (ecclesia). We are both the People of God, and fellow sojourners on this earth, a parish (parokhia) community, striving to reach our homeland: God’s Heavenly Kingdom. However, as a unique and distinct people – all made in the image and likeness of God – we are nonetheless unique and distinct individuals ourselves, with varying degrees of strengths, weaknesses, talents, skills, and abilities. Thus, although we are the same, we are also “not the same.”
Some of us have graduate degrees, while others barely graduated from High School. Some were brought up in very pious homes where God was the center of their family life, while others barely heard the word “God” ever mentioned. Some grew up praying at meals and upon rising and going to bed, while others did not. Some families were brought up to regularly read from Holy Scripture; others simply had a Bible sitting on the shelf. There are those families that regularly observed the Holy Days and Lenten seasons of the Church, while others only stressed Christmas and “Easter.” Some children had righteous parents and relatives (pravedniki) who reinforced the Christian Faith by example, living it seven days a week, while others had no Christian example to learn from; or at best, had parents who made them attend church on Sundays. Then, we have those who grew up without any of this – now church life whatsoever, as if God did not exist at all!
There are those who continuously study and grow in their faith, and those who care little for any religious instruction…fearing that it might change their comfortable way of life. There are those who have a “college level” understanding of Orthodoxy, and those who maintain a preschool mentality to their faith. There are those who are spiritually mature – aware of a future Judgment, while others are like selfish children, thinking only of themselves and their time on earth.
Within our parish community we have those who are generous and give freely in thanksgiving for their manifold blessings, and those who donate little to nothing. There are those who give cheerfully unto the glory of God, and those who begrudgingly toss ten-dollars into the collection basket at Pascha, all-the-while complaining that they feel compelled to give; feeling it almost like a type of “tax.”
We have both those who are blessed with gifts, skills, and abilities and apply them freely to enhance the Church, for the betterment of this world and for the glory of God’s Kingdom, and those who never volunteer or offer their services unto God at all.
There are those who fully understand that the Eucharist, Holy Communion, is the continuation of our Lord’s Mystical Supper which not only unifies and edifies all Christians as our Lord intended; that it is the culmination of not only the Divine Liturgy, but the very apex of our Faith, its very heart and center, and they hunger for it, desire it, prepare for it, and are sustained and nourished by it body and soul. Then, there are those who come on Sunday only to attend coffee hour; trading live-giving Bread for doughnuts.
We have those who always show up to services on time (and even early) because they respect the Lord and wish to honor Him with their presence, and then there are those who routinely show up late because they feel no need or reason to do so; coming when “they” want as opposed to respecting God’s call.
We have parishioners who understand that the liturgy is all about sacrifice, offering thanksgiving to God, giving of oneself, while others only come to “get what they can get” (which is why so many people show up to services where they get something – pussy willows, anointing, a blessing upon their paschal basket, etc.)
Yet, despite all these varying dichotomies, there is still one thing that binds and unites every member of this parish together, regardless of the status of our faith and/or spiritual relationship with God: We are all miserable, deplorable, broken, sinful people in need of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and help. We are sick and diseased and seek the Physician of soul and body to heal us. This, in itself, makes us all equal before God. There is no “good” sinful, broken individual, as opposed to a “bad” sinful, broken individual; we are simply broken and in need of God’s cure; His forgiveness and cleansing for our errors and sinfulness, just as we need His love and strength to heal and fortify our efforts.
Therefore, as a parish community, none of us should dare judge, condemn, or make fun of each other, nor should we ever wish to expel anyone from this sacred ship or “Ark of Salvation.” Christ was in the boat with His disciples during a great storm and Jesus lovingly stopped the storm to quell the fears of these same men who would later betray, abandon, and even deny Him.
Just as our Lord saw enormous potential in those same flawed individuals (Whom He chose to pick, teach, and lead), He sees the same potential in all of us who are also flawed, broken, and unworthy. Christ takes that which is broken to make whole, and His power is made perfect in our weakness (2nd Cor. 12:9-11).
