Christ is among us!   He is and He will always be!

 We all know the old controversy between the pessimist and the optimist. Is the bottle half full or half empty? Anything we say or do bear two sides of interpretation. Our interpretation of the outside world is, more often than not, a reflection of the inside world. “Be beautiful and life will look beautiful to you,” says an Arabic proverb. We say in English: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Another Arabic verse says it clearly:

“A benevolent eye overlooks any defect,

While an evil eye discovers evil things.”

 However, while optimists and pessimists are fighting about their respective points of view, there comes the pragmatist fellow and steels the show. With no effort, he gets the prize. He says: “Whether half empty or half full, it doesn’t matter. Let us drink it.” Life is too short to be wasted in fighting. (Song by Abdel-Wahhab)

 How many hours, how many days or years are being wasted about mindless discussions. If each one of us minded his/her own business, practically the job would be done much more easily, regardless whose fault it was or who gets the credit. So much more good things would be done if people did not mind who gets the credit! Success, sometimes, is an empty word, a short-lived illusion, here today gone tomorrow. Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to tell her sisters: “God does not call me to be successful; He calls me to be faithful.”

 I heard recently a story, which I readily applied to many of our own situations. In a certain Melkite Church, people were divided into two camps: Some of them thought that it was all right, during the Divine Liturgy, to sit down at the singing of the Hirmos (It is truly right to bless you, O Theotokos) at the end of the Canon; Others thought that people should stay standing during that time. The two factions were fighting constantly about it. Finally, they decided to go to an old retired priest who was in a nursing home, and to get his opinion. They asked him: “Is it our tradition to sit down during the singing of the Hirmos?” The old priest answered: “No! It is not our tradition to sit down during the singing of the Hirmos.” The other group was happy. They said to him: “Then, it is our tradition to keep standing.” The old priest answered. “No, it is not our tradition to keep standing during that time.” Both groups were disappointed. They asked him: “What shall we do? We are arguing and fighting about it all the time.” The wise priest exclaimed: “Eh Heh! This is our tradition! – Arguing and fighting all the time.” At the end of time, “nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom” said Jesus. (Matthew 24:7) But, unfortunately, we don’t have to wait to the end of time to have parishioners fighting against parishioners and people against their Pastors and priests against priests. If I do not love you, how could I pretend loving God? (Cf. I John 4:20)

Arguing and fighting all the time serves no purpose. To be nice and loving is more important than to be right. In our prayer before the recitation of the Creed, the symbol of our faith, the deacon reminds us: “Let us love one another, so that with on mind we may confess.” Love first, then proclaim your faith.

 “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” says the Lord. (Matthew 9:13)  The time of Lent is the propitious time to make peace with one another, to accept each other as we are.  “O Lord, Master of my life, … bestow upon me the grace of being aware of my sins and of not thinking evil of those of my brethren, for You are blessed for ever and ever.” (Prayer of St. Ephrem)

+ John A. Elya

Eparch of Newton

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