Imagine that you have a child who is grown, and so has left home to live on his own. Now imagine that your child has made some serious mistakes, and has adopted a way of life that is harmful to him; and is a way of living of which you cannot approve. Now imagine that your child is returning home – clothes in rags, body unwashed, tired, hungry, lonely, scared. Are you going to refuse to open the door when he knocks? Are you going to refuse him food and drink? While there may be other circumstances where this may be what happens, for the most part, the majority of parents, in such a situation, will open their door as they have already opened their hearts, and rejoice that their child is alive, and has come home.
We see this in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
Now let us consider this parable, and our own parental response, in light of the mission of our parish, which we have said exists to be of help to us in saving our souls, and to reach out to those in darkness around us, that they also may be saved. When we sin, haven’t we become like the Prodigal Son, who ran away from home, and adopted a way of life that is deadly to us, a way of life, which our heavenly Father, cannot bless? Yet He does not withhold Himself from us, nor close the door of His house to us. Indeed, He runs to be with us, even while we are still a long way off.
How, then, can we close the door of His house to those who may not be dressed in an Orthodox manner? How can we be critical of those who may not know the rules of His house? When we do so, we are not showing the love and mercy of God; rather, we are like the elder brother, who scorned the celebration of his brother’s return.
Please do not misunderstand this point. Of course, we should do everything we can to learn the proper ways of behavior in church: Of how to dress, and how to bow, and how and when to cross ourselves. And when someone is ignorant of these things, and they ask us, we should lovingly tell them what they do not know. But first and foremost, our task is do what is needed to save our souls; and, if others are in need of help on the way, not to presume to be their judges, but to teach them by our good example, so that they will see the light of the love of God shining forth from us, and so desire to be like us that they adopt our behaviors and ways.
Our brothers and sisters are dwelling in darkness, and in the shadow of death. It is up to us to clothe them, as the Father did for His returning Son; but not to allow their need for attire, either literally or figuratively, to interfere with our celebration of the Feast. Let us be glad when someone finds this house of God for the first time, and not rush to burden them with all the rules. Let us give thanks to God when they come again; and let us give them time, and our good example, to encourage them to adopt our way of life. After all, what do you think is more important to God? That one of His lost children has come home? Or the way he chose to dress that day?
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