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GREEK ORTHODOX THEOLOGICAL REVIEW

  57:1-4 2012

The Ecumenical Patriarchate

and the Significance of Dialogue

METROPOLITAN EMMANUEL ADAMAKIS OF FRANCE

I am honored to be here tonight to participate in the

Patriarch Athenagoras Lecture. It is fitting that this event

is named after Patriarch Athenagoras, not only because he

founded Hellenic College Holy Cross seventy-five years

ago,

  but because his ministry had a tremendous impact on

love, charity, and ecumenical activities for decades after his

passing. The Holy Spirit is always at work in the Church,

empowering those committed to Christ to put into place a

foundation in one generation that supports and launches the

ministry of the next. Patriarch Athenagoras put the founda-

tion for this college in place, and for decades graduates of

Hellenic College Holy Cross have served the world well as

they have followed in the footsteps of Christ. They impacted

their communities through Christian service and leadership,

honoring our founding father in the process . Upon this foun-

dation, Hellenic College Holy Cross students will continue

to build and make a difference in our world.

I am also hum bled to return to Hellenic College Holy Cross

this year because it was twenty-five years ago that I graduat-

ed from this sacred institution. As I remember my time here,

I am thankful for all the good things of the Holy Hill: a sense

of community, the camaraderie of fellow students, and the

  This was initially a speech given on M arch 14, 2012, at the Patriarch

Athenagoras Lectures at the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theol-

ogy, Brookline, MA .

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332 GOTR 57:1-4 2012

mentoring relationships between professors and students.

I was encouraged to embrace academic discipline while

seeking the cormection with the mysteries of the Orthodox

Tradition. I eame as a stranger and left as a brother. I have

come home

Tonight, I am here to share with you some thoughts

about ecumenism based on the ministry of the Ecumenical

Patriarchate. For those of you who are not yet familiar with

the term "ecum enism," it is simply the "aim for unity am ong

all Christians throughout the world ,'" the aim for visible unity

in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. Ecumenism

is not a new idea; it is not a constmction of modem man. It

is , however, a necessity for this generation to address.

The word "ecumenical" in its original form simply means

"all the inhabited earth ." Therefore, the ministry of the

Ecumenical Throne is worldwide in its influence. The

Ecum enical Throne embraces the tradition of being an exam -

ple for the world in its conduct with others empowered by the

guidance of the Holy Spirit, the enlightenment of Scripture,

and the continuity and discernment of Tradition. However,

the Ecumenical Patriarchate is not alone in this ministry. His

All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew   once said,

"The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians living in Corinth

two thousand years ago, God has 'given to us the ministry of

reconciliation' (2 Cor. 5:18). Indeed, he has given it to all of

us—diplomats and clergy, leaders and followers—making

all of us to be His ambassadors of peace and reconciliation

(cf 2 Cor. 5:20)."^

As I will highlight in a few minutes, ecumenical activity

can be traced throughout the history of humanity. In fact,

God is the first "ecumenist," so to speak, but pleas for unity

have also sprung from the lips of Christ, the apostles, St.

John Chrysostom in the fourth century, St. Gregory Palamas

in the fourteenth century. Patriarchs Athenagoras and

Dimitrios in the twentieth century. Ecumenical Patriarch

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Adamakis The Significance of Dialogue  333

Bartholomew I this century, and many others too numerous

to list. Ecum enical Patriarch Bartholomew   recalled this tra-

dition of ministry to our minds when he said, According to

St. John Chrysostom . . . God is always in personal dialogue

with human beings. God always speaks: Through Prophets

and Apostles, through saints and mystics, even through the

natural creation

 itself;

 for, 'the heavens declare the glory of

God' (Psalm 19:1). Dialogue between God and mankind is

possible because of the incamation of

 Christ

That is why it

is impossible to define the true nature of dialogue outside of

theology. True dialogue is a gift from God to mankind and

a fundamental experience of life. ^ Dialogue enriches; it is

the basis of theosis, as the Church Fathers have shown us.

  Whoever refuses dialogue remains impoverished.

The Ecumenical Throne fakes St. John Chrysostom 's words

seriously and translates them into action in the world today.

Where some would limit dialogue to the Roman Catholic

Church or a small circle of Christians, the Ecumenical

Throne has looked beyond dividing humanity into separat-

ed groups. Therefore, we speak not only with not Roman

Catholics, but also with Muslims, Jews, and other world re-

ligious leaders. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I traces

interreligious dialogue with Muslims back hundreds of years

and reminds us that during the 14th century A.D ., a dia-

logue was conducted between the great Christian theologian

and saint. Archbishop Gregory Palamas of Thessaloniki, and

distinguished representatives of Islam. Of course they did

not entirely agree, but one of the representatives of Islam

stated that for him the time should come when mutual un-

derstanding between followers of the two religions would

exist. St. Gregory agreed to this statement, and wished that

time would come soon. Today we are able to wish, and we

do wish wholeheartedly, for this to be fulfilled in our days. ^

We too can also wish wholeheartedly for this to be fulfilled

in our day, for we have witnessed the great tragedy that has

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befallen the world as a result of the attacks of 9/11—and the

subsequent decade of war—after centuries of intolerance,

misunderstanding, and evil. "Accordingly," the Ecumenical

Patriarch observes, "we approach dialogue in a spirit of

love, sincerity and honesty. In this respect, dialogue implies

equality, which in turn implies humility. Honesty and hum il-

ity dispel hostility and arrogance."*

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I

lives the honesty and humility that works toward dispelling

hostility and arrogance, but with a passionate understanding

of the truth found in his deep-rooted faith. He explains, "T his

is why we explicitly declare that inter-religious dialogue

does not take place either for participants to enter into alli-

ances with members of other religions, or for them to badger

others into conceding to their beliefs. They take place rather

for the cessation of religious intolerance, for the triumph of

mutual understanding, and for the establishment of certainty

in the good intentions of both sides, respectful of each per-

son's cultural background and freedom of religious choice.'"

Other notable ecumenical and interreligious dialogues the

Ecumenical Patriarchate has engaged in include those with

Lutherans and Reformed, although there are still difficulties

that we are trying to overcome. There is also dialogue with

the ancient Oriental Church, with which I humbly serve as

chairman; however, we are still trying to apply the decisions

that were made some years ago. Ecumenical relations are

clearly an ongoing process

For more than thirty years, there has been dialogue with

Jews and Muslims on a purely academic consultation levels,

and the dialogue continues today. Multilateral interreligious

meetings have been organized as a result of the initiative of

the Ecumenical Patriarchate for many years. In fact, there

have been two conferences on peace and tolerance coorga-

nized with Rabbi Arthur Schneier, as well as a conference

in Brussels in the aftermath of 9/11 in 200 1. The Brussels

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Adamakis The Significance of Dialogue

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Declaration reflects the Ecumenical Patriarch's long-held

belief that 'w ar in the name of religion is war against re-

ligion,' and that it is the will of God for peace to prevail in

the world. * It is important to review these dialogues and

make the distinction that we do not coerce another to join

our Church, neither do we dilute the truth of our faith. The

Ecum enical Throne desires to be in unity w ith Christians, and

in harmony w ith those who do not choose to follow Christ.

In approaching others with whom we differ, the path

the Ecumenical Throne has chosen is what Ecumenical

Patriarch Athenagoras envisioned. In remembering his wis-

dom and guidance. His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch

Bartholom ew I once said, We affectionately recall how

Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras (1886-1972), an extraor-

dinary leader of profound vision and ecumenical sensitivity,

a tall man with piercing eyes, would resolve conflict by in-

viting the embattled parties to meet, saying to them: 'Co m e,

let us look one another in the eyes.' This means that we must

listen more careftilly, 'look one another' more deeply ' in the

eyes.'

 As St. Nilus of Ancyra w rote: 'You are a world w ithin

the world; look inside yourself and there you will see God

in the w hole of creation .' Each of us comprises a living icon

of the divine Creator. And we are, furthermore, always—

whether we know it or not—closer to one another in more

ways than we are distant from one another; closer than we

might ever suspect or even im agine .' During the lifetime of

Patriarch Athenagoras, many remarkable things that ushered

in

 

dialogue of love took

 place.

 The Orthodox Church and the

Roman Catholic Church lifted the anathemas in 1965 from

the Great Schism, and opermess toward dialogue between

the two sister churches grew. Patriarch Dimitrios succeed-

ed Patriarch Athenagoras and continued the work of unity

with the Roman Catholic Church, and also with Orthodox

Churches through pan-Orthodox conferences. Patriarch

Dimitrios established official theological dialogue between

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the Orthodox and the Roman C atholic Church on Novem ber

30,

  1979, and he traveled to Rome to meet face-to-face with

the Pope of Rome, John Paul II, in 1987. The two leaders

participated in a ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica, reciting

together in Greek the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed

of the Church without the

  Filioque

Patriarch Dimitrios

also engaged in dialogue with the Anglican Church, re-

ceiving two Archbishops of Canterbury at the Ecumenical

Patriarchate.'° During the fortieth anniversary year of the

lifting of the anathemas, the Pope of Rome returned the rel-

ics of St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian

to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, and in 2008

the Ecumenical Patriarch traveled to Rome to participate

with the Pope of Rome in a service at the Sistine Chapel.

Were these gestures an answer to the prayer we have been

praying every Sunday since the time of St. John Chrysostom,

  For peace in the whole world, for the stability of the holy

churches of God, and for the unity of all,  let us pray to the

Lord?

Could we also resolve many of the conflicts we en-

counter by looking into the eyes of one another more deeply

and working toward peace? This is exactly what I expressed

to His Holiness the Pope of Rome, Benedict XVI, during

the feast of St Peter and St. Paul in 2 11 while representing

His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew I. We feel that our

Churches would be infinitely more efficient and credible to

the mission if they were bound together and were able to

deliver a message of hope. '^

The idea of achieving peace in the world is at times a m o-

tivating hope, and at other times an overwhelming proposi-

tion. The population of the earth is approaching seven b illion

people,'-' and the Christian population is thought to be 2.1

billion.' It is hard to imagine how any individual or Church

leader can positively impact that many human beings and,

perhaps even more difficuh, unite over two billion Christian

believers. We must have a vision that guides us to see our-

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Adam akis The Significance of Dialogue  337

selves and others in the way God desires. He has provided

Scripture, Tradition, icons, and role models for us to gain

insight into the heart of dialogue . Let us now turn to examin-

ing the Scripture to see if w can discem how one person in

seven billion can begin to make a difference for peace in our

world today.

Two thousand years ago , the world population is estimated

to have been 170 million.'^ Yet God's plan for the proclama-

tion of the good news of Christ's sacrificial work involved just

120 people who were empowered through the Holy Spirit. ^

This gives us great hope for our w ork in this generation.

Just weeks before the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost,

Christ prayed for the unity of all his discip les . Why was

unity on the heart of Christ on that night? Jesus knew and

told them on the eve of his crucifixion, All of you will be

made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is wriften:

'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be

scattered. ^ He was preparing to pour out his life for his

disciples, and also for those who would become believers as

a result of their testimony. As was predicted in Scripture, the

act of the cmcifixion scattered the sheep for a time. But fifty

days after the resurrection, they were together, in one room,

praying when the Holy Spirit descended. They emerged into

the world to bear fruit and multiply the faith.

In the Garden of Eden many millenniums earlier, Adam

and Eve were sent out into the worid to be fruitftil and multi-

ply. Unfortunately, they were sent into the world because of

their sin. Even in their departure from the garden, they— like

the early Church— were not abandoned. God maintained the

relationship and had already provided the plan to restore hu-

manity.

The Ecumenical Throne's ministries in ecumenical and in-

terreligious dialogue are two different, unique commitments

that can be illustrated by the way God interacted w ith Adam,

Eve,

  and the serpent after their sinftil choices. In Genesis

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chapter 3 , we see the fateful day unfold. The serpent temp ts

Eve with a review of God's prohibition of eating certain

fruit. This temptation leaves her with questions about her

Creator. Once she is deceived she eats ofthe fruit. Then she

conv inces her husband to try it too . Adam chooses to follow

suit. Suddenly, they realize their condition, become afraid,

and hide from God.

Let's focus on what happens next: God was the party

wronged in the eating of the fmit, but he left his throne to

seek out those who defied him He wanted to see Adam and

Eve face-to-face. He didn't arrive in the garden pronounc-

ing anathemas, condemning, or accusing. He simply asked

Adam, "W here are yo u? '" ' God did not attack them; he fried

to understand what happened. God asked, "Have you eaten

from the tree of which I commanded you that you should

not

 eat?"^"

 Adam blamed Eve; Eve blamed the serpent. God

surely knew every detail already without having to ask any

other created being, so why did he choose to speak with

them face-to-face? How did he resolve the dilemma, while

keeping his relationship with them intact? God extended his

love to them through his presence.

Like Adam, all of humanity can at times feel afraid. This

is probably most often the case where ecumenical and inter-

religious dialogue is concemed. When we meet with oth-

ers who have a different belief than ours, we can be afraid:

afraid that they will not accept us; afraid that they will try to

m le over

 u s;

 afraid that we cannot convince them to be more

like us. These possibilities leave us feeling vulnerable before

the other. It also stands to reason that the other feels much

the same way in our presence. When considering future min-

istry activities with ecumenism and interreligious dialogue,

the Ecumenical Throne keeps love as the motivation for

communication. In fact, without love, dialogue holds little

hope of bearing fhiit. Our Ecumenical Patriarch loves others

enough to go to them, even to those who have wronged him.

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Adamakis The Significance of Dialogue  339

He desires to meet with the other face-to-face. He does not

approach them with condemnation, but seeks to understand.

The Ecumenical Throne has a rich history in reaching out

to meet the needs of the other through witness, service, and

love.  Many confuse loving gestures, openness to dialogue,

and understanding the other as weaknesses, or worse as

heresy. Yet when we examine God's approach to the sin of

Adam and Eve, we get another perspective. There is a diffi-

cult balance between approaching others in dialogue w ithout

coercing them to change their point of view. There is great

temptation to define love through acquiescing your own

standards and truth. It is nearly impossible to remain in faith

without either trying to overtake others or having them dom-

inate your freedom of choice w ith their beliefs. In the garden

God struck all the right balances. His love for the individu-

als remained constant throughout the confrontation. Yet God

didn't excuse their sin, nor did he waiver in his know ledge of

truth to appease and agree w ith them in their deception. This

is the essence of ecumenical and interreligious d ialogue: ap-

proach without coercion, love without acquiescence, and

faith without domination. When these chords are struck,

there are loving gestures, understanding, and hope. As God

modeled love for us in the garden, we know that it is possible

to love others enough to allow them the freedom to choose

their thoughts, actions, beliefs, and words.

Brothers and

 sisters,

 the Ecumenical Throne

 h s

 taken many

steps to affirm these freedoms for people of all faiths. Yet the

world is still a dangerous place, particularly for minority reli-

gions.

 Why hasn't human communication improved in light

of increasing ecumenical and interreligious dialogue in the

churches, and tolerance and diversity education in secular

society? Where is the disconnection? Ecumenical Patriarch

Athenagoras , of blessed memory, once said, I do not deny

that there are differences between the Churches, but I say

that we must change our way of approaching them. And the

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question of method is in the first place a psychological, or

rather a spiritual problem . For centuries there have been con-

versations between theologians, and they have done nothing

except to harden their positions. ^'

Of course, this is not to say that theologians are bad for

ecumenism; in fact, just the opposite is true, but there are

limitations. True ecumenical and interreligious faith dialogue

occurs not only in the synods, conferences, theological meet-

ings,

 and communication with religious and political leaders;

it also occurs within each Orthodox household. Archbishop

Iakovos, of blessed memory, once stated, All of us believe

that the ecumenical movement must be brought down from

the level of the ecumenists to the level of the people. From

the complex terminology used by theologians to language

understood by the faithful. From the pulpit to the pew of

the believer. From the pages of ecumenical literature to the

lips of the readers. Before our movement can become truly

ecumenical it must not only be presented objectively but un-

derstood subjectively. In order to achieve this, however, we

must make every effort to bring together the faithful of our

member churches so that they m ay really know each other. ^^

It is difficult to figure out how to achieve Archbishop

Iakovos's desire for individuals to participate in the work of

ecumenism. God's ways and man's ways can be very dif-

ferent. Isaiah 55:8-9 puts this into perspective: 'For My

thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways ,'

says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are My ways higher than your

 ways,

 and My thoughts than

your thoughts. ' How do we as Orthodox Christians reach

for the higher thoughts and interact every day with those

who differ from us or even with those we feel have wronged

us? It is not enough to grant others the freedoms of will and

expression. We must do these things consistently, but there

is more— love. It is well known that when St. John evan-

gelist grew old and was unable to walk they carried him to

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Adamakis The Significance of Dialogue

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church. There he only admonished, 'Brethren [L]et us love

one another.'"^^ H ow are you supposed to lovingly approach

a Roman Catholic, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Protestant, or an

atheist? St. Isaac of Syria set the goal when he said, "What is

the sign that a man has attained to purity of

 heart

and when

does a man know that his heart has entered into purity? W hen

he sees all men as good and none appears to him to be un-

clean and defiled, then in tmth, his heart is pure."^" This idea

is a lot easier to talk about than to live, but with each passing

day the necessity to do so grows greater There is, however,

an important parable that Christ used as a model for interact-

ing with others that inspires St. Isaac's ideal.

Let us tum our attention to the Parable of the Good

Sam aritan. Christ used the story to illustrate who our "ne igh-

bor" is in reference to the law of

 love."

 Jews and Sam aritans

did not get along. Each thought the other w as wrong in their

stewardship of the faith, but they interacted personally in

business. Therefore, when Christ used a Samaritan in this

parable, the Jews would not have expected him to be heroic

or noble.

The astonishment of someone so unlikely to do the will

of God must have gotten their attention. In the parable, af-

ter a Jewish priest and a Lévite passed by a man who had

fallen victim to robbers, a Samaritan man saw him. Christ

said the Samaritan "came where he was. And when he saw

him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged

his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his

own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii,

gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of

him; and whatever more you spend, when I eome again, I

will repay you."'^*

In this parable we may have the answer to our question

about what an Orthodox Christian should do to love his

neighbor. The first step the Samaritan took was that he

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came to the man. Approaching another in treacherous ter-

ritory takes courage. Once in the presence of the man, the

Samaritan could see the man in his desperate need, and

that created within him compassion for the man's circum-

stances. Those who saw the man from a distance were not

moved to compassion, but the Samaritan came face-to-face

with the man and the Sam aritan was m oved to act. Using his

own donkey, the Samaritan transported the man to the itm.

When they arrived, the Samaritan involved others in caring

for the man and sacrificed what is thought to be two days'

wages to pay for his continued treatment for about three and

a half weeks.^' The generosity of the Samaritan went even

ftirther in promising to pay for any additional costs for the

man after the initial payment for care was expended. These

last few gestures involve hands-on, face-to-face participa-

tion in the life of another. It takes commitment to move

from compassion to service and from there to sacrificing

our personal resources to heal another. In the Conference of

European Churches—which is an ecumenical organization

over which I have the honor to preside—all Christians of

mem ber churches try to comm it themselves to serve God by

serving the other. So this is possible. Dialogue is not only

the exchange of words; it is also the exchange of gifts where

God stands in the middle.

The Ecumenical Throne's approach to dialogue reflects the

truths found in this parable. It cannot be overstated: dialogue

is a necessity. However, the application of ecumenical dia-

logue with your neighbor is much broader than the d ivisions

humanity has created under the influence of the great sepa-

rator: the devil. Consider what Pope St. Leo said, But this

godly love cannot be perfect unless a man love his neighbor

also.

 Under which name must be included not only those who

are connected with us by friendship or neighborhood, but ab-

solutely all men[,] with whom we have a common nature,

whether they be foes or allies, slaves or free. ^* Given the

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Adamakis The Significance of Dialogue

  343

observation of Pope St. Leo, we are able to see that the con-

structs of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue are helpftil

as descriptive tools, but ultimately they too have the potential

to divide us from others. Let's now look at three contempo-

rary m odels of how to demonstrate the love of God to people

with whom we agree, and to those w ith whom we disagree.

First, no discussion of Patriarch Athenagoras would be

complete without considering his role in the December 7,

1965,

 lifting of anathemas between the Orthodox and Roman

Catholic Churches.^' Although he would be rotmdiy criti-

cized from a variety of perspectives. Patriarch Athenagoras

reached out to the Pope of Rome, Paul VI, after hearing

he would be in Jerusalem in 1963. They met there face-to-

face, embraced, and spoke privately. The Pope of Rome of-

fered the Ecumenical Patriarch a chalice, which symbolizes

hope for the ftature communion. Notice that the Ecumenical

Patriarch, who was in a position of feeling wronged after the

Great Schism in Constantinople in 1054, made the first move.

There is biblical precedent for doing so in Matthew 5:23 -24:

  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there re-

member that your brother has something against you, leave

your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be rec-

onciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Patriarch Athenagoras in the unbroken apostolic succession

of Andrew remembered that his brother Peter had something

against him. He sought him out, met him face-to-face, and

they jointly began to heal the w ounds of neariy a millennium.

The next contemporary example involves Archbishop

Iakovos, Bishop of Melita, who later served as the Primate

of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Americas, of blessed

memory. He serves as an example of beeoming actively in-

volved in healing the wounds of his brothers in humanity

who were suffering during the American Civil Rights move-

ment of the 1960s. He stated, Orthodoxy is a religion and

theology that places no boundaries or barriers along the way

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of those who search for happiness in unity, in peace, and in

justice. Orthodoxy will one day, and hopeftiUy soon, redis-

cover its essential oneness and disavow hunger for power,

ethnic superiority and secularism which leads it to unchurch-

ly ambitions. Orthodoxy must definitely identify itself as a

religion that leans over all people with genuine compassion

and declare that its chief concem is to gather and unify all

those who drifted away from Christian truth. ^ To this end.

Archbishop Iakovos marched side by side with Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr., to Selma, Alabama. This gesture of love

and solidarity was captured in a photograph appearing on

the March 26 ,196 5,  ife magazine cover, creating an image

for us as Orthodox to be fearless when standing with others

in their time of need.

The last example of love in action that creates hope for

humanity comes to us from outside the Orthodox Church. In

October 2006, Charles Carl Roberts IV, a man who was dis-

traught and angry with God over the loss of his daughter, en-

tered an Amish schoolhouse near Lancaster, Pennsylvania,

and shot ten girls and then tumed the gun on himself Five

of the girls and the shooter died. That very aftemoon the

families of those whose children had been murdered began

to let the family of

 th

shooter know that they forgave him.

They didn't stop there. They invited the murder's mother

to the funeral of one of the little girls whose life had been

taken by her son. The Amish community reached out to the

Roberts family in an attempt to comfort them and also at-

tended Mr. Roberts's funeral. They set up a charitable fund

for the Roberts family, demonstrating their openness to

walking alongside the family of a man who forever changed

that Amish community.^' In much the same way as the good

Samaritan gave of his eam ings and walked alongside the in-

jured man to Jericho, the Amish gave of their resources to

aid the healing of others.

The Ecumenical Throne seeks to inspire peace, unity, and

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Adamakis The Significance of Dialogue  345

tolerance for all seven billion people on earth and to consider

all of humanity to be our neighbors. As we love our neighbors,

we will go to meet them, sit with them, and talk face-to-face.

We will seek to understand and be moved to compassion. We

recognize that the Holy Spirit through Scripture and Tradition

always guides us towards love, forgiveness, and unity; not

hatred, separation, and division. His All-Holiness Ecumenical

Patriarch Bartholomew I has followed in apostolic succession

on this path toward Christian w itness and service through the

Ecumenical T hrone 's ecumenical and interfaith ministries. He

has said, Through the centuries we have leamed that coex-

istence is only the beginning of the process of engagement.

If we are to enjoy peace in place of war, prosperity instead

of decline, freedom instead of oppression, we must m ove the

dialogue beyond tolerance and even respect. We must recog-

nize in the face of

 th

'other' a kindred

 self

one who shares

with us the deepest aspirations and needs of humankind. ^^

In the end, you may never know whether you are the good

Samaritan or the injured man in this life, but if you approach

others in love and service, you will receive as great a healing

as the injured man in Christ's parable.

Brothers and sisters, it is my heartfelt desire that all of us

in this room this evening would strive to achieve what His

Eminence Archbishop Demetrios outlined as a priority for

Orthodox at his enthronement on September 18, 1999. In

reflecting on Ephesians 4:1-6, he stated, ' Just as we are

called to the one hope that belongs to our call, one Lord, one

faith, one baptism one God and Father of us all, who is above

all and through all and in all of us. ' This is precisely the rea-

son why we feel our duty to stress the need for unity and

peace among us. Without fear or hesitation we are invited,

beloved brothers and sisters, to set aside difference, misun-

derstanding or conflict that could create distances am ong us.

Distances that shake the unity and drive away the peace of

God. Nothing should jeopardize the great and divine gifts of

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346 GOTR 57:1-4 2012

unity and harmony, of unanimity and communal accord.""

The season of Great and Holy Lent that we are observ-

ing now is a time that the "distances" His Eminence speaks

about can be bridged. If we have been wronged by another,

we can seek them out as God did in the garden. If we see

someone who is hurt and overlooked by others, we can ap-

proach him with love, bind up his wounds, and take steps

to care for him as the good Samaritan did. If we come to

the altar and remember our brother or sister has something

against us, we can come near him or her and reconcile our

differences. It is love that sustains us in our effort to dialogue

with others. It is love that propels us to seek to live in unity

with all Christians and in harmony with the rest of the world.

Brethren, let us love one another

In conclusion, please allow our minds and hearts to rec-

ollect the words received by Diognetus eighteen centuries

ago:

 "And when you love him, you will be an imitator of his

goodness . . . And do not be surprised to hear that a man can

become an imitator of God He can, because God wills it."^"

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C o p y r i g h t o f G r e e k O r t h o d o x T h e o l o g i c a l R e v i e w i s t h e p r o p e r t y o f H o l y C r o s s O r t h o d o x      

P r e s s a n d i t s c o n t e n t m a y n o t b e c o p i e d o r e m a i l e d t o m u l t i p l e s i t e s o r p o s t e d t o a l i s t s e r v      

w i t h o u t t h e c o p y r i g h t h o l d e r ' s e x p r e s s w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n . H o w e v e r , u s e r s m a y p r i n t ,    

d o w n l o a d , o r e m a i l a r t i c l e s f o r i n d i v i d u a l u s e .