Dear all.
Gospel reading
- Yesterday’s gospel reading (Luke 6:31 – 36) is a salutary lesson as to how we should interaction with our fellow man. “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” This golden rule, this great moral teaching, it may well be argued is embraced by all major religions. And, if that were the case, then it could be further argued that all religions lead to the same end. So, why indeed bother to be a Christian?
- Let us look at some of what the other main stream religions say on the subject: Hindus hold that you should do nothing to others that would hurt you if it were done to you. Buddhists hold you should not offend others as you would not want to be offended. Taoists say that the success of your neighbour and their losses would be to you as if they were your own. Confucianism states that which we do not wish to be done to us we do not do to others. Judaism contends that what you do not wish for yourself you should not wish for your neighbour. Islam contends that none of you shall be true believers unless you wish for your brother the same as you wish for yourself.
- All faith traditions contend that we should not hurt each other – but do they all mean the same thing? You will notice that all faith traditions are expressed in the negative. These rules as expressed stop us from doing bad things to one another. Why? Because we do not want bad things done to ourselves. So we do not kill because we do not want to be killed. We do not lie as we do not want to be lied to. In other words we act so we do not break the law. Now following the law is no more and no less the obligation of every citizen. So, following the other faiths would in effect be doing no more than our legal duty.
- But notice that Christ expresses the rule in positive terms. There is a change of emphasis. We become the actors in regulating our lives and we initiate positive actions towards others as an expression of our love for the other and in the hope that our actions will temper their action towards us and towards how they treat us. So we act towards our brother out of love and our job is to do good and not simply refrain from doing bad. The world and other religions believe not to do evil. This is vastly different from doing good to the other. Christianity aspires to the higher rather than the lower and as Christians we are obliged to initiate and do good to the other.
Around our church
- The program for the coming week is as follows: tomorrow, Tuesday feast day of St Thomas matins from 7:30 AM; Saturday divine liturgy in English 9 AM to 10:15 AM.
- Zoom class tonight from 6:30 PM.
- On Tuesday on six EBA FM from 5 to 6 PM I present “the Hour of Orthodoxy “. The focus will be on the coming Sunday’s epistle and gospel. On Thursday from 1:30 PM to 3 PM the divine liturgy recorded on Saturday (English) will be replayed and for 4:30 PM to 6 PM the divine liturgy recorded on Sunday (Greek) will be replayed.
- Zoom class on Thursday, at 7 PM. THE BOOK OF REVELATION CONTINUED.
Our food store requires: coffee, oil, tomato sauce, paste, plain flour, tuna large, tuna small, canned corn/peas/beetroot/chickpeas, salt, pepper, jam, long life full cream milk, powdered milk, (full cream), long spaghetti, toilet paper, toiletries, canned fruit. If you can help please do.
Thought of the week
When does happy become unhappy, or unhappy become happy, or, joy become sorrow or sorrow become joy? All things are in the eye of the beholder so each of us finds a different tipping point from one emotion to its antithesis. It is these variable tipping points which make the world an interesting place. So, let us celebrate our differences and accept each other as we are for we all bring something to the table of life.
Till next time.
In Christ.
Father John Athanasiou 0411 061 554
