Lecture by metropolitan Elpidophoros of Bursa

As we are all aware, within historical Christendom, there exists the tragic phenomenon of disunity, which naturally creates serious problems. In this regard, the witness of the Orthodox Church is the witness of the living Christ, who came for the regeneration and salvation of the entire world. Above all, Orthodox Christianity offers a witness of truth and love, the witness of a unique truth and a unique love. In general, the world does not comprehend what it means to sacrifice the ego, to make selfishness disappear; as a result, it cannot experience the creative and selfless love of God. Nevertheless, in this fallen world, the authentic love of Christians can overcome the evil of the world. Faith and hope in God help us to grow wings; they make our love soar still higher. Thus, believers and followers of Christ are always elpidophoroi – that is to say, bearers of hope. Such a witness of godly love on the part of the faithful can never be simple theory, but rather entails sacrificial life. Such true life is the fruit of freedom that presupposes respect of the other person’s freedom. The great love of God for all creation in no way diminishes human freedom. Unfortunately, there is much talk of freedom today, but those who talk about it are the very ones who trample upon freedom most crudely.

Exhausted by the endless concerns of a noisy and distracted life, contemporary humanity yearns for peace and quiet, both externally and internally. The witness of the Gospel truth and the silence of Orthodox spirituality are especially timely requirements. The powerful testimony of love, freedom and silence must be abundantly offered today by the Church to all those who desire salvation. This blessed offering is an obligation and a responsibility of the Church to all. Orthodoxy is ecumenical and must embrace all with love (26). In the words of St. Gregory the Theologian: “We do not seek to prevail, but to receive brothers, at whose separation we are devastated”(27). St. Gregory, our foremost theologian, reminds us that our purpose is not to win because our Lord has already gained the victory over the one that needed to be overcome. Our purpose now is to gain our brother and sister so that we may overcome the disunity that divides and devastates us. The witness of the Orthodox Church is the testimony of the salvation and regeneration of all. This is the message of Sacred Scripture; and this is the experience of Orthodox spirituality.

Permit me to conclude this presentation with the words of my Patriarch referring to one of his predecessors among the Saints: “As St. John Chrysostom reminds us, the sacrament of ‘our neighbor’ cannot be isolated from the sacrament of ‘the altar’ … If we claim to retain the sacrament of the altar, we cannot forgo or forget the sacrament of the neighbor – a fundamental condition for realizing God's Word in the world within the life and mission of the Church”(28).

Elpidophoros Lambriniadis,
metropolitan of Bursa
Patriarchate of Constantinople