Divisions
- Michael Haldas
- Sep 3
- 3 min read
“For the inability of human personhood to be ekstatic towards what is outside creation and thus to unite nature in personhood leads to the fragmentation of nature and hence to an individualization of beings: each being acquires its identity not through the hypostatic differentiation which emerges from communion, but through its affirmation in contrast and opposition to the other beings. Difference becomes division and person becomes individual, that is, an entity affirmed by way of contrast to rather than of communion with other entities.” (Metropolitan John Zizioulas)
“The Holy Fathers, who were experienced in prayer, noted that the devil hates prayer the most and does everything to prevent us from praying with a pure heart. Each one of us can imagine how hard it is sometimes to stand to pray, and how easily our mind is distracted by extraneous thoughts. It happens that we feel no peace of mind and joy from prayer. The holy ascetics are aware of this and accurately describe mental struggles as demonic work in a person that confuses him all the time. The Greek word “diabolos” means “divider”—the one who destroys integrity and harmony through confusion and hatred. If the work of the enemy of mankind is division, then the Holy Spirit brings harmony and unity.” (Metropolitan Serafim Joanta)
“Remember that our Savior praised the faith of a Roman centurion, who was an officer of the Roman army that occupied Israel. By any conventional standard, that man was His enemy. (Lk 7:9) The people of Nazareth tried to throw Christ off a cliff when He reminded them that God had at times blessed Gentiles through the ministry of great Hebrew prophets and had not helped Jews. (Lk 4:29) He shocked everyone by talking with St. Photini, the Samaritan woman at the well, and then spending a few days in her village. (Jn 4:40) The list could go on, but the point is obvious that our Lord’s love for broken, suffering humanity extends literally to all who bear the divine image and likeness. He was born and baptized in order to bring all people into the Holy Trinity’s eternal communion of love. It is only “the old nature” of corruption that would keep us so enslaved to hatred, division, and vengeance that we would imagine that those we consider our enemies are any less called to become brilliant epiphanies of salvation than we are.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)
“An equally extraordinary event followed Pentecost: when God told St. Peter that He had made all wild beasts clean. Remember that most of the Old Testament associated the nations of the world with the wilderness, for they lived outside the divine structure that God brought to His people through the Torah. Because they were unclean, the Gentiles had the same spiritual status as wild beasts. The cleansing of wild beasts symbolizes the erasure of Jew-Gentile divisions and the possibility that the entire world (previously the realm of uncleanness) can become clean—fit for God’s Edenic presence.” (Robin Phillips)
“Not all of us preach sermons, but all of us teach with our lives. Your family, coworkers, and friends watch you. If they see peace, kindness, and forgiveness in you—they will believe God is real. If they see anger, pride, or division—they may turn away. Your life can be the best lesson someone ever sees! St. Paul said, If I speak in the tongues of angels, but do not have love, I am nothing but noise (1 Corinthians 13:1)….Real love goes beyond human divisions and rivalries. It defeats hatred and bias. It transcends personal bitterness and extends to the whole of humanity without contrivance or ulterior motives. This is what the Lord has taught us and which we ought to do: to look after, care for and “keep” our brothers and sisters.” (Savva Tống, Metropolitan Varnavas)
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