Orthodox Archbishopric of Zimbabwe
This Sunday’s Gospel extract reminds us more or less of our own troubled time where mischievous people create huge problems in the peaceful course of humanity. This is why Christ’s presence in our lives constitutes our only hope for survival.
However, just like in the land of the Gadarenes, instead of the inhabitants of this region glorifying and praising God that Jesus Christ was present amongst them, healing their demon-passed fellow human beings, they ask Christ threateningly to distance Himself from their region.
Our era suffers from social problems, like the problem of poverty, insecurity, terrorists, ebola virus, aids, and unemployment, problems of immigration and refugees, because Christ is absent from our lives or even more profoundly because we live far away from Christ. Christ constantly comes close to us and we constantly distance ourselves from Him.
In the face of tomorrow’s anguish, our church comes with Christ’s Gospel message to remind us of man’s purpose on earth: how we can return to the Kingdom of God, how we can become participants of eternal life, how we can become a permanent residents of paradise, how we can avoid eternal damnation, how we can avoid eternal pain and eternal misfortune, how we can manage to live close to God forever together with his loved ones. The choice is ours.
When we live according to Christ’s commandments and we struggle for our family members who suffer and for those who are next to us and in need of our help, that is, when we offer our help with much love to as many as are in need of our assistance, then we open up the path which leads us to the Kingdom of Heaven, to Paradise.
Our indifference and our refusal to contribute prolifically and creatively in the solution of the problems of our fellow human beings means that we have already decided to live far away from God, proceeding in the path of damnation. However, where our decision is clearly evident to live close to Christ in order to return to the Kingdom of Heaven, is our trust in the guidance of our Church, with all of us supporting in a unified manner her pastoral, catechistic, philanthropic and missionary work.
Therefore with our spiritual preparation we will be able to accept the Godly light of transformation so that we can mimic our Holy commandments of our Lord and God our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Thus our hope in salvation through Christ and our entry into the Kingdom of Heaven will be a reality for all of us.
See also
Jesus Christ & Capitalism: The Parable of the Rich Fool (three Orthodox voives from Africa)
Back to the old way of life! (A voice from Zimbabwe & Angola)
Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria: “Zimbabwe will prosper with the unity of its Leaders and People”
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