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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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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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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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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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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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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 .