Move beyond accommodation to love

In the late 200s and early 300s, a few men and women drifted away to the deserts of Egypt to pursue Christianity alone, living as hermits in caves. By the mid-300s, there was such a surge toward this starkly disciplined form of Christianity that the caves began to fill up.  

The situation which caused the rush to the desert was when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Those who fled to become hermits were often convinced that the only kind of Christian one could be in a Christian country was a complacent one.  

We learn of the hermits of the desert through their sayings and stories, preserved through an oral tradition and written down as early as the 4^th century by persons interested in capturing their distilled wisdom. Here are a few saying which give a feel for the odd characters from a very stately time in Church history: 

One of the brethren had sinned, and the priest told him to leave the community. So then the leader of the community, an abbot named Bessarion got up and walked out with him, saying: “I too am a sinner.” 

An elder said: “Do not judge a fornicator if you are chaste, for if you do, you too are violating the law as much as he is. For He who said thou shalt not fornicate also said thou shalt not judge.” 

Some elders once came to Abbot Anthony, and there was with them also Abbot Joseph. Wishing to test them, Anthony brought the conversation around to Holy Scriptures. And he began from the youngest to ask them the meaning of this or that text. Each one replied as best he could, but Anthony said to them: “You have not got it yet.”

After them all he asked Joseph: “What about you? What do you say this text means?” Joseph replied: “I know not!” Then Anthony said: “Truly Abbot Joseph has found the way, for he replies that he knows not.” 

The one who said he didn’t know what the scripture meant was judged most wise. This sentiment is like that of Paul in his first letter to the Christians in Corinth. Paul found love to be more important than knowledge.

He wrote, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; but anyone who loves God is known by him” (I Corinthians 8:1-2). 

Paul was teaching on a very practical matter for his day, and while that concern no longer exists, his teaching remains quite relevant. The issue concerned eating meat sacrificed to idols. It was a problem that presented itself quite frequently in Corinth as gatherings were quite often held in the social halls of pagan temples and the meat served there had first been sacrificed to the pagan god to whom the temple was dedicated.  

The Corinthian Christians who had some wealth and status continued to be invited to these social functions. Caught in deciding whether to dishonor another person of importance or dishonor their faith, they accommodated.

It was a rationalization that went like this: If the pagan gods are not real gods, then it doesn’t matter whether I eat the meat sacrificed to them or not. Their social lives could continue unchanged after their conversion to Christianity. Poorer Christians, who were never invited to the temples to start with, just shook their heads in wonder.  

The church then wanted Paul to clear up the matter. Was it right to continue to go to the pagan temples or not? Paul argues that as another weaker Christian might be led astray by this action. Paul concludes saying that if food would cause another to fall into idol worship, he would stop eating not just meat sacrificed to idols, but all meat. 

Today, we can still rationalize ways to accommodate our faith to the culture. But Christians were called in scripture “a peculiar people.” We are to be “in the world not of it.” Jesus sent his disciples out “like lambs among the wolves.” 

From elementary school to the nursing home, each of us encounters times when we are tempted to just go along. Your underage and friends are just splitting a few beers and smoking cigarettes. Why make a big deal out of it? Later on, you’re the best man at the wedding, how can you skip the bachelor’s party? What’s the big deal about going to a strip club anyway, you’re only looking? Perhaps your husband is out on a boat and you find yourself lonely. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right? And on it goes. 

The guiding principle behind this passage in Corinthians and the entire Bible in fact, is love. This was not a wishy-washy declaration, but a heart rending decision made out of self-giving love for those around you.

Paul knew that we could twist what we know until the equation added up to justify whatever it was we wanted to do. But, those who love God are known by him and can then be guided to right action.  

Perhaps you have drawn a blank and this column has not brought anything to mind. Good. But maybe as you have read you have been reminded of some little accommodation you’ve been making. Some little sin no one knows about, but that you have been justifying, knowing it’s wrong but trying to figure out how it’s actually OK.  

Forget what you know. Consider love. Is the love you have for Jesus honored in this situation? Does what you have done or are doing honor the love you are to have for God, your neighbors, and yourself? If it doesn’t measure up to this standard of godly love, whatever you have rationalized is not of God. 

(The Rev. Frank Logue is pastor of King of Peace Episcopal Church in Kingsland, Georgia.)

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