Mission Monthly – May 2002
“We worship Christ, and we ask him to save us by His Resurrection. The most crucial problem of life is death. Throughout the centuries, many fine minds have tried without success to solve Church’s mystery. It was conquered only by the death and Resurrection of the Lord. With His Resurrection, death acquired new meaning. And through His death, life is illuminated with a higher purpose.”
Peter M. Kalellis, The Divine Liturgy Rediscovered
In his epistle to the Romans, St. Paul states, “Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned” (5:12). A difference in these two quotes leads me to ask this question: Is the most crucial problem of life, as presented above, death; or is it sin in which, according to St. Paul, we find the cause of death? As ancestral heirs to the consequences of the fall of Adam this question probably doesn’t require an answer. Sin and death are virtually the same reality for us in that we are born into the condition of sin and are inheritors of both its inclination and effect. It is important, therefore, that we bring to light these types of questions, questions of sin and death, which demand from us a deeper look at life’s essential issues such as “purpose” and “faith.”
In his provocative bestseller, The Culture of Narcissism, Christopher Lasch speculated that many of society’s ills (and ultimately our own sins) are caused by an underlying selfish fear of growing old and ultimately dying; that much of man’s rebellion against God is a desperate grasping for an illusion of life empowered by our own efforts and on our own terms. I am intrigued by this opinion, and while I cannot say that this speculation is in complete agreement with Orthodox spirituality, it certainly has enough truth that it cannot simply be ignored or rejected.
If this opinion is even partially true then further examination is necessary and useful. For example, if I call myself a Christian and yet my sins reveal an irrational and ungodly fear of death, then what is the purpose of my faith? What role does Christ’s Resurrection play in my life? Second, I cannot help but recall the holy response of the Righteous Simeon when he met Christ in the Temple, “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace” Simeon’s faith was bold and his recognition of the Messiah was unmistaken, but did he truly understand the grave and holy purpose of the Incarnation? According to the Akathist to the Theotokos, “[Jesus] was discerned by [Simeon] as perfect God” (Oikos 12) which explains why he was assuredly ready to “depart.” These are challenging questions as we examine ourselves, our faith, the direction of our lives, our commitment to a personal relationship with the “Messiah” and the choices we make to live our lives as our Holy Faith dictates rather than as we self-determine.
We celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday throughout the entire year, and proclaim “Christ is Risen!” during the season of Holy Pascha. This proclamation is true and we are continually filled with the many blessings of this ultimate gift. The Resurrection gives hope beyond the limitations of this life, especially for those who bear a greater portion of suffering born out of the madness of the Devil’s intent. Death has indeed acquired new meaning; it is no longer under the Devil’s dominion. Death is no longer a thing to be feared. The Resurrection inspires hope within us as bearers of God’s image, to become partakers of divine nature and gain admittance to the Resurrection of life (John 5:25-29). Our life is indeed illumined with a higher purpose, yet it is this purpose that is the focus of our greatest struggle. Every time we are tempted to sin it is an attack on this higher purpose; when we give in to our temptations the Resurrection and its high calling for each of us ultimately becomes obscured. May this not be the case for any of us as we set our hope in the Light of Christ our Pascha. The Resurrection has set us free, but not free to live base, immoral, unfaithful and self-determined lives. What does “Christ is Risen!” mean to me? May it be a shout of transformation from the very depths of our soul’s faith and purpose; from darkness to light; from earth to heaven; from slavery to freedom; from death to life! Beloved, Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!