by Gabe Martini –
It is not loving to affirm a person in their sin.
It is not loving to affirm a person in their rebellion against both God and His created, natural order—not “supernatural,” or “unnatural,” but the way nature was always intended to be, revealed most perfectly in Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and all the Saints.
It is not loving to affirm a person in their beliefs or perspectives that run contrary to the blessings offered us in both Christ and His one, holy Church.
It is not compassionate to ignore truth in order to affirm a person in lies.
It is not compassionate to let people live a life contrary to the author of Life.
It is not compassionate to revise, ignore, or trample under foot the essential truths of our Church in order to curry favor with public opinion, the winds and waves of doctrine, cultural trends, the fools—for the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God—of the Academy, and those with the largest checkbooks.
It is not loving to affirm a person in their sin.
It is not compassionate to tell God’s people that asceticism, restraint, and self-control somehow only apply to one gender, or even one “sexual orientation.” There are no “orientations”; there are choices and free will, as we are all created after the Image of God (let’s be plain: to deny this is Christological heresy). Some struggle with one sin more than others, but we are all called to a life of asceticism and repentance, no matter our lot in life (this is simply lived out and expressed in unique, and varying ways, according to our portion and place).
It is not loving, nor is it compassionate, to only say things and believe things that you know will receive a favorable response. This is called being a coward and even a charlatan. We should not be ashamed of the Gospel. This applies doubly to our clergy, but no less to us laity.
It is not compassionate to ignore truth in order to affirm a person in lies.
In all of this, we can act, speak, and believe in a manner that is not only loving and compassionate, but also fully in line with the commandments of Christ, and the traditions of our one, holy Church (and there is only one, true Church—this is also tied to orthodox Christology).
There is no need for compromise;
there is no need for false accusations of extremism;
there is no need for being unloving or overly critical;
there is no need for false dichotomies;
there is no need for looking at the sins of others more than our own;
there is no need for cynicism alone;
there is no need for ignoring the clear commands of Christ and the apostles to judge—and be judged—by those within the house of God.
It is not loving to affirm a person in their rebellion against both God and His created, natural order
Ignoring all the cliches, categories, and politics of our age, there is only a need to be unapologetically, lovingly, and charitably Orthodox. Regardless of what the world thinks or says, and regardless of what this means for our success, fame, and fortune.
Truth is not a spectrum of opinions, perspectives, and paradigm shifts; it is not culturally conditioned; it is not relative for each new age, thought, or situation. Truth is a Person. Truth is the Logos, the Divine Word and Truth of God, even our Lord Jesus Christ—who is the same yesterday, today, and unto ages of ages.
A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, “You are mad; you are not like us.” ~ St. Anthony the Great
HT: On Behalf of All
