The Cross is our Weapon of Peace – Mark Basil

As Elder Sophrony wrote in his book about St Silouan, the whole of the Church is like a great ocean through which a small stream of pure living water flows. Those who wish to drink from these living waters must renounce argument and become fools for Christ.

Love of enemies is like this. It is a refusal to resist evil doers in imitation of their wicked violence. It is incomprehensible to the world and thus bears witness to the Kingdom. When turn away from this pure stream at the centre of our faith (Christ's work on the Cross) we are in danger of forgetting our greatest, even our only, "evangelical tool"- willing martyrdom while praying for our enemies.

 

The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Orthodox Church. Let other religions grow according to their means; God has given us one Evangelical tool: to love each other as Christ loved us.  Divine Love is this, that while we were God's enemies He did not despise us but died for us, for we who are violent know not what we do.

The Cross is our weapon of peace, and the Mother of God is our Protectress.

God help me to move closer to this pure stream of living waters that flows at the centre of our Holy Tradition, to which all the martyrs bear witness: Christ's Kingdom is not of this world, if it were of this world His servants would fight. I need not resist an evil doer for all things are ordered according to the will of my Father in heaven.

 

In the irresistible love of Jesus Christ;

 

-Mark Basil