Yesterday I received a comment on an older blog post that said that all the Orthodox that this person had met were hypocrites. Of course, I was at first tempted to answer with either snappy comebacks or with philosophical comebacks or by re-defining the term. I finally wrote that I had no way to disprove her statement.
You see, all of us are sinners. As a result, all of us behave in ways that are inconsistent with the very Christianity that we profess. And, the people that observe us can see every one of those inconsistencies. They can see our sins better than we can. They can see the ways in which we self-justify our sins. They can see that we are, by one definition of the term, hypocrites. If they are fair-minded they can understand what it means to be a sinner on the path of redemption. But, if they have been hurt by one of us, or if one of us behaves like the poster on the right, it becomes very difficult to see the discrepancies as anything other than hypocrisy, pure and unadulturated.
So, what is the difference between a hypocrite and a not-hypocrite? After all, Jesus himself differentiates between those who were hypocrites and those who were not. I think that the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee gives us a strong pointer. The hypocrite is the one who actually thinks that his/her Christianity is in a fairly good state. The not-hypocrite is the one who cannot go before the Lord without first acknowledging his/her sins and asking for God’s mercy. The not-hypocrite is not sinless, but is humble and willing to acknowledge his/her sins, particularly when they are pointed out to him/her.
There is a reason why the Jesus Prayer became the prayer of the East. There is a reason why the most frequent prayer prayed in the Liturgy is Lord, have mercy. It is the recognition by the Church that the amount of our sins make us more like the skull in the picture above than they make us like a true Christian. Sadly, some of our Eastern Christians have even become proud of the fact that we pray that prayer. Too many of us have turned a cry for mercy, for forgiveness from our hypocrisy, into a proud statement that we know we are sinners and is that not great! No, it is not great. We are sinners and we are like that skull, desperately in need of God’s mercy.
One caveat, before someone posts, no I am not talking about justification. I know our sins have been forgiven. I am talking about our sanctification. I am talking about where the shoe meets the road. Too many of us Orthodox leave people feeling that we are like that skull above or like the Pharisee who is thankful that he/she is not a Protestant. You see, I believe that most people can understand that we are far from perfection provided they see us walking a path of humility in the direction of our God, asking for his mercy and guidance. But, if we are not walking that path of humility, then they will see us like that poster above.
“Too many of us have turned a cry for mercy, for forgiveness from our hypocrisy, into a proud statement that we know we are sinners and is that not great! No, it is not great. We are sinners and we are like that skull, desperately in need of God’s mercy.”
Amen, Father! But this only attacks half the problem… if there is a place where our (and I speak in the first person here, on purpose) hypocrisy haunts us most, it’s in our trumpeting of “one right set of doctrines” when paralleled with our self-righteousness. Essentially we say “LOOK! I Hold the Right Doctrines unlike you heretics!” and they turn around and say, “look, you’re a sinner…” I think the right teaching of religion would, somehow, turn that focus around. The first word from a preacher should be “look, I’m a sinner. Forgive me….”
Ironic, isn’t it that a prayer for mercy can be a prideful thing? “Look, here folks, I’m a sinner and asking for mercy from the Lord unlike you hypocrites who sin and do not ask for mercy.” That could have been the Pharisee’s cry as well. Humility–true humility bows always before God and does not have to trumpet it. The fact of their humility just IS. Some of the most humble people I know are the quietest and the least likely to preach in words. Their very being proclaims the coming of the Kingdom without any words at all. When these people quietly say a word or two, I always listen. They are the ones who quietly go about doing good works–and not necessarily gigantic good works. It can be a pat on the shoulder or a hug or an email to a suffering friend or a smile. Somehow those small actions of the quiet saints seem to come directly from God.
I have a sister who quietly always knows the right thing to say. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit and in a family that is genetically it seems prone to flashiness and the majority of whose members loudly paint with a very broad brush, the quiet smile and word or two from this member of the family always pours oil on troubled waqters and quiets any quarrel. I strive to emulate her, but fail all too often as I am one to the broad brushers in the family. Quick to anger about the speck in my brother’s eye and quick to loudly proclaim it, I fail to see my own sin–the telephone pole that is sticking out of my own head. With years and experience and a massive amount of prayer and trust in God’s mescy, I have moved a millimeter closer to that kind of humility. But too often I fail and must cry again in my anguish, Lord have mercy. I am so very grateful that He does.
I am new to Orthodoxy having journeyed my whole life to find what I have found here. The sister I speak of is a genuine Southern Baptist. How can I say to her–who has so genuinely what I am striving to emulate that “I GOT IT AND YOU DON’T”? What I can do is share my experience and what I have found in Orthodoxy that I did not find anywhere else.
I have posted a question in response to this which i think that all Christians would do well to consider.
http://vagantepriest.blogspot.com/2009/11/question.html
Also, regarding the last paragraph, I think a careful distinction needs to be made between the Orthodox understanding of justification/sanctification and the Evangelical POV, the latter largely being a reaction to the RC understanding, which is also different.
For those reading, please do go over to Fr. Greg’s post and answer his question.
On the POV on justification/sanctification, yes that merits another whole set of posts. However, it was easier to state it in the terms that I used rather than writing some additional paragraphs. Nevertheless, for those who want to read a good metaphor of a more Eastern approach, read Aslan’s death and resurrections scene in the book The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
Notice three things:
1. Aslan does substitute for Edward. But, ultimately that substitution is not what wins the victory per se. Aslan’s death simply opens the door for the Deeper Magic.
2. The ransom for sin is not paid to the Emperor over the Sea. It is paid to the White Witch who is the executor of the rules.
3. Aslan breaks down the doors of death–not to mention bringing back those turned to stone–and defeats the White Witch. The victory is not won simply by the substitution, though the substitution is certainly part of it.
For the Orthodox substitution is only one part of the process of what the West calls atonement.
Amen. And amen. I am not orthodox, as you would perhaps consider it. I am a Christian, and radical, not as in the bombing of abortion clinics but radical like: turn the other cheek… Forgive, and you will be forgiven… Love your enemies. Not that this should be radical – it should be run of the mill for a believer. And yes – we are all sinners. And yes, it’s about sanctification, a life long process, which should be obvious to anyone who is a true seeker. Praise God – that is part of the necessary insight to take off our own covering and put on the wedding clothes which were provided for us from before the dawn of time. Self-justification just won’t – it’s how one will find one’s self outside the gates. And even Jesus, who accepted the sinners as they came one and all, even Jesus had a problem with the Pharisees. Should we be surprised when someone operating on human reasoning and without the Holy Ghost is offended by holier-than-thou behavior.
Humility is KEY. Key. Do not be deceived; humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord.
God bless you in all of your Kingdom work my brother.