We want to be all fighting for some sort of justice. Fighting for those who are oppressed, whether it be because of race, culture, sexual abuse, the list goes on. We want to  fight for the victim. Our passions and anger rile each other up as we see the ones without a voice get beaten and unfairly treated. We want to be that voice. We want to be that hero.

Yes, the struggle in this life is real. The pain is real. Racism is real. Sexual abuse is real. Your hurt is real. My sin is real.

In all this, what is it that we are truly fighting for? Are we fighting to release victims from their prisons, that they may live outside of the four walls that held them captive? They will also pass away like you and I, and then what?

Are we fighting for justice (earthly consequences), Justice (heavenly), salvation?

Has our fight become solely an earthly fight?  Has it become a battle that really has no victory in the Divine realm? Are we fighting for Freedom or deeper entanglement?

Our Saviour asks us to fight for the Kingdom.  To fight for the Truth.

We have turned our current social events into a fight against humanity rather than a fight against THE oppressor. The one whose name literally means divider. He, the devil, is the real enemy. The real oppressor. Each of us is his victim.

We treat the oppressor in an unjust way yet we fight for justice. Are we truly fighting for justice if we long to see the villain punished? We are all in need of healing, we are all in need of salvation and we are all certainly in need of Justice.

We throw around nice quotes and verses that we have read but don’t really understand or have any intention of living. We say that we love all people and accept all people of every race and nation. We post inspirational speeches and feel empowered about our cause. But what are we really living for? Who are we loving, and who are we fighting for  besides our own ego?

What is justice? What is God’s justice?

“…justice is for God to help us through His Grace to rectify that which truly wronged us. It is exactly at the core of our being, ontologically speaking, that we have been wronged, through the Fall…Our estrangement from our Divine nature.”

Father Maximos of Cyprus

Justice is to make things right. God’s Justice is to make all men to be made right.

God’s Justice without His Mercy is death for every one of us. Glory to God that He “desires not the death of a sinner but rather that he returns and lives.” We must not forget this, we must drop our stones that we eagerly desire to throw, and seek true healing for the hurt, the sinner, the child of God (we are each every single one.)

Justice is that every man, made in the image of God, grows into the likeness of Christ. This  is true Justice. And if this is not what we are fighting, for then we fight for nothing and no one.

This earthly world that we fight for will all pass away, none of this will remain.

To say that repentance is the solution to all our current problems is NOT  cliché and to say that it is indicates that we have not experienced true repentance. Perhaps if we recognized those who modeled the life of repentance around us (heavenly and earthly), our desire to live a life of holiness would not easily wane. Repentance is not an action or a ‘sorry’ that is said or done in a single moment. No, repentance is an act that rises above time and place. And because it’s above time, it affects everything and everyone. From one person’s repentance, all is changed. Nothing can be the same.

“Acquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.” Fr Seraphim of Sarov

Repentance can save the world. Repentance is the beauty of this world because it leads us to the True Beauty. It allows our hearts to be channels of grace, a home for the homeless, a love for the unwanted and a hospital for the wounded. And this is Church.

St. Isaac the Syrian testifies to the power of repentance;

“He who has been able to see himself has accomplished more than one who has seen the angels.”

“One who apprehends his sin is better than one who through his prayers raises the dead.”

I pray the Lord leads us all to a life of repentance that we may heal one another.

May we seek God’s Justice for each other.

This is God’s Justice. This is Church.

Picture Credit: Nikolay Yanakiev

“I don’t think you need go alone. Not if you know of anyone you can trust, and who would be willing to go by your side and that you would be willing to take into unknown perils.”

Frodo asked of no one to journey with him. Yet, unanimously, his three hobbit friends made his journey their own:

“You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.”

A difficult year has been and gone, and we are eternally grateful that you, our BFA family, have been on the road with us.

This month will be our chance to open up to you – to share Where We’ve Been; we want to revisit the winding roads we have walked through in the past year, with you by our sides, that we may anoint every valley trekked, every ocean sailed and every mountain climbed.

Our prayer is that for the next 3 weeks you would journey with The Lord through 6 different roads, all different, yet beautifully intertwined; and that you would meet Him in your journey, wherever you’ve been.

“This year has been joyful and wild and loving and lost and worn out and worn soft and inspired and tender and run ragged and full of sorrow and gratitude and terror and grief and searching and being stubborn and listening and opening and opening and opening and this year has been finally finding and almost quitting and finally learning and this year everyone I know had a broken heart, everyone I know cried in private on their way home from a party, and not everyone I know woke up the next morning, and not everyone I know wanted to even though they did.

And this year I stood inside of a redwood tree and thought “this is the sweetest day of my whole life” and two months later I was sobbing in a parking lot thinking “this is the worst day of my whole life” and a few months later I was dancing in my living room saying “this is the best day of my whole…” Have you ever seen the seed of a redwood tree? So tiny. And all of that Everything inside of it. All of this Everything inside of us. Happy Lost Searching Tender New Year to your tall tall heart”

Thank you for staying even when we were not who we were called to be, and even when we were not the people you once chose to be friends with. We are grateful for all the joyful journeys you’ve chosen to accompany us through, yet we are equally grateful for the silences, the tears that we could never make sense of, and the holding of each other even when we could not hold ourselves.

Thank you family, for your courage to brave the light and dark with us. After all has been and gone, two things shine out the clearest:

God’s tender mercies never fail

Our souls are knit; we will always have each other

To whatever this year brings, we will love and we will grow, just like we have always believed.

Umantu ngumuntu ngabantu

“I am because we are” – Nguni phrase

“NOW IT occurred that while the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the message of God, He was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee).
And He saw two boats drawn up by the lake, but the fishermen had gone down from them and were washing their nets.
And getting into one of the boats, [the one] that belonged to Simon (Peter), He requested him to draw away a little from the shore. Then He sat down and continued to teach the crowd [of people] from the boat.
When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul.
And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again].
And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were [at the point of] breaking.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.
But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Luke 5:1-8

Upon reading this passage, so many thoughts came to mind towards Peter and his state.  I mean, Peter, you just witnessed an incredible miracle. Aren’t you curious? Don’t you want to know the secret behind what this man just did so you can try to repeat it and enjoy early retirement? You allowed Him on your boat before He showed His awesomeness, and now you want Him to depart?

And it kind of hit me. I’m not too far from that reaction when presented with something Holy and Good. There’s a small sense of worry poking its way with its snout into the heart of that moment.

“This really shouldn’t happen to me. He must have entered the wrong boat! Perhaps, He doesn’t fully know the extent of my sins. It’s only a matter of time before I ruin this?”

It initially smells like the incense of humility but it’s quite the opposite. If it succeeds, I find myself getting out of that boat immediately and walking away. And I would walk away missing that moment when Christ calls me by my name and affirms me by telling me “Fear not! I am entrusting you with this.”

I’d fail to realize that the smell of sweet incense was coming from Christ, humbly entering into my boat. It’s fear that lurks in, welcomed openly by pride, that causes me to reject the gift of His presence. I’d think of my own condition. I’d glance at my calloused hands and the dirt in my nails, ignoring His gentle embrace. Consumed with my state, I can never enjoy His warmth and feel the fullness of joy in that moment. I entered my boat broken but I’d leave it broken, hopeless, and alone.

A few verses down from that passage you’ll find how Matthew (Levi) responds to meeting Christ; sinful Matthew makes a great banquet for Christ in his own sinful house and invites all the sinful tax collector friends he can gather (Luke 5:29). Wow!!! It’s not like Matthew was unaware of his state. He was a tax collector, that title was a scarlet letter he wore around. But he entered into the grace of that invite with celebration, looking onto Christ and not his brokenness.

Why let pride welcome it’s pesky friend, fear, so that we remain friendless? Why let that fox steal an opportunity to have a party, celebrating His presence? Why let it steal my Joy?

Later in scripture, Peter will be proven right countless times as to how sinful he is (and some of these moments are very public) but I guess that’s what it takes for him to ask for Christ to draw near to him as opposed to depart.

“Draw near to me, for I am a sinful man O Lord!”

And in the moment that He does draw near, his identity is transformed. “I the sinful” becomes “I the loved”, “I the embraced”, “I the joyous”.

There is a great song by John Mayer that describes a man talking to his love saying “If my past is any sign of your future, you should be warned before I let you inside.” In its essence, it’s saying “I have full confidence in myself messing this up, and I have a proven record in doing so. My fears are preventing me from experiencing the goodness we have to offer.” The song is called “I don’t trust myself with loving you”, and the title is rightly stated but there would be no hope for this man if the song is left as it is. His trust in himself and his sense of value would cause an endless cycle of failure; the relationships he’s failed in would fail to bring in any new ones. Although the person in this song may have every right not to trust in himself, he may have toiled all night on his miserable boat with no reward, he would be foolish not to trust, love, and enjoy the person who comes into his failed state and accepts him.

But aren’t we all foolish sometimes, our pride casts a verdict on ourselves keeping us behind imaginary prison bars when we should really be celebrating our freedom. So let’s put up the party banners and send the invitations! Let’s be more like Matthew!

-Ave Ibrahim

Hear and be comforted, beloved, how merciful is God. To the sinful woman He forgave her offenses; yea, He upheld her when she was afflicted. With clay He opened the eyes of the blind, so that the eyeballs beheld the light. To the palsied He granted healing, who arose and walked and carried his bed. And to us He has given the pearls; His holy Body and Blood. He brought His medicines secretly; and with them He heals openly. And He wandered round in the land of Judea, like a physician, bearing his medicines. Simon invited Him to the feast, to eat bread in his house. The sinful woman rejoiced when she heard that He sat and was feasting in Simon’s house; her thoughts gathered together like the sea, and like the billows her love surged. She beheld the Sea of Grace, how it had forced itself into one place; and she resolved to go and drown all her wickedness in its billows.

She bound her heart, because it had offended, with chains and tears of suffering; and she began weeping (with herself): What avails me this fornication? What avails this lewdness? I have defiled the innocent ones without shame; I have corrupted the orphan; and without fear I have robbed the merchants of merchandise, and my rapacity was not satisfied. I have been as a bow in war, and have slain the good and the bad. I have been as a storm on the sea, and have sunk the ships of many. Why did I not win me one man, who might have corrected my lewdness? For one man is of God, but many are of Satan.

These things she inwardly said; then began she to do outwardly. She washed and put away from her eyes the dye that blinded them that saw it. And tears gushed forth from her eyes over that deadly eyepaint. She drew off and cast from her hands the enticing bracelets of her youth. She put off and cast away from her body the tunic of fine linen of whoredom, and resolved to go and attire herself in the tunic the garment of reconciliation. She drew off and cast from her feet the adorned sandals of lewdness; and directed the steps of her going in the path of the heavenly Eagle. She took up her gold in her palm and held it up to the face of heaven, and began to cry secretly, to Him who hears openly: This, O Lord, that I have gained from iniquity, with it will I purchase to myself redemption. This which was gathered from orphans, with it will I win the Lord of orphans.

These things she said secretly; then began to do openly. She took up the gold in her palm, and carried the alabaster box in her hands. Then hastily went she forth in sadness to the perfumer. The perfumer saw her and wondered, and fell into questioning with her; and thus he began to say to the harlot in the first words he spoke: Was it not enough for you, harlot, that you have corrupted all our town? What means this fashion that you show today to your lovers— that you have put off your wantonness and hast clothed yourself in modesty? Heretofore, when you came to me, your aspect was different from today’s. You were clothed in goodly raiment, and brought little gold; and asked for precious ointment, to make your lewdness pleasant. But lo! Today your vesture is mean, and you have brought much gold. Your change I understand not; wherefore is this fashion of yours? Either clothe you in raiment according to your ability, or buy ointment according to your clothing. For this ointment becomes not or is suited to this attire. Can it be that a merchant has met you, and brings great wealth; and you have seen that he loves it not, the fashion of your lewdness? So you have put off your lewdness and hast clothed yourself in meekness, that by various fashions you may capture much wealth. But if he loves this fashion because he is a chaste man in truth, then woe to him! Into what has he fallen? Into a gulf that has swallowed up his merchandise. But I give you advice, as a man that desires your welfare, that you send away your many lovers who have helped you nought from your youth, and henceforth seek out one husband who may correct your lewdness.

These things spoke the perfumer, in wisdom, to the harlot. The sinful woman answered and said to him, to the perfumer after his discourse, Hinder me not, O man, and stop me not by your questioning. I have asked of you ointment, not freely, but I will pay you its value not grudgingly. Take you the gold, as much as you demand, and give me the precious ointment; take you that which endures not and give me that which endures; and I will go to Him who endures, and will buy that which endures. And as to that you said, about a merchant; a Man has met me today Who bears riches in abundance. He has robbed me and I have robbed Him; He has robbed me of my transgressions and sins, and I have robbed Him of His wealth. And as to that you said of a husband; I have won me a Husband in heaven, Whose dominion stands for ever, and His kingdom shall not be dissolved. She took up the ointment and went forth.

In haste went she forth; as Satan saw her and was enraged; and was greatly grieved in his mind. At one time he rejoiced, and again at another he was grieved. That she carried the perfumed oil, he rejoiced in his inward mind; but that she was clad in mean raiment— at this doing of hers he was afraid. He clave then to her and followed her, as a robber follows a merchant. He listened to the murmurs of her lips, to hear the voice of her words. He closely watched her eyeballs (to mark) whither the glance of her eyes was directed; and as he went he moved by her feet (to mark) whither her goings were directed. Very full of craft is Satan, from our words to learn our aim. Therefore our Lord has taught us not to raise our voice when we pray, that the Devil may not hear our words and draw near and become our adversary. So then, when Satan saw that he could not change her mind, he clothed himself in the fashion of a man, and drew to himself a crowd of youths, like her lovers of former times; and then began he thus to address her: By your life, O woman, tell me whither are your footsteps directed? What means this haste? For you hastes more than other days. What means this your meekness, for your soul is meek like a handmaid’s? Instead of garments of fine linen, lo! You are clothed in sordid weeds; instead of bracelets of gold and silver, there are not even rings on your fingers; instead of goodly sandals for your feet, not even worn shoes are on your feet. Disclose to me all your doing, for I understand not your change. Is it that some one of your lovers has died, and you go to bury him? We will go with you to the funeral, and with you will (take part with you) in sorrow.

The sinful woman answered and said to him, (even) to Satan, after his speech: Well have you said that I go to inter the dead, one that has died to me. The sin of my thoughts has died, and I go to bury it. Satan answered and said to her, (even) to the sinful woman after her words: Go to, O woman, I tell you that I am the first of your lovers. I am not such as you, and I place my hands upon you. I will give you again more gold than before.

The sinful woman answered and said to him, even to Satan after his discourse: I am wearied of you, O man, and you are no more my lover. I have won me a husband in heaven, Who is God, that is over all, and His dominion stands for ever, and His kingdom shall not be dissolved. For lo! In your presence I say; I say it again and I lie not. I was a handmaid to Satan from my childhood unto this day. I was a bridge, and he trode upon me, and I destroyed thousands of men. The eyepaint blinded my eyes, and (I was) blind among many whom I blinded. I became sightless and knew not that there is One Who gives light to the sightless. Lo! I go to get light for my eyes, and by that light to give light to many. I was fast bound, and knew not that there is One Who overthrows idols. Lo! I go to have my idols destroyed, and so to destroy the follies of many. I was wounded and knew not that there is One Who binds up wounds; and lo! I go to have my wounds bound. These things the harlot spoke to Satan in her wisdom; and he groaned and was grieved and wept; and he cried aloud and thus he spoke:— I am conquered by you, O woman, and what I shall do I know not.

As soon as Satan perceived that he could not change her mind, he began to weep for himself and thus it was that he spoke: Henceforth is my boasting perished, and the pride of all my days. How shall I lay for her a snare, for her who is ascending on high? How shall I shoot arrows at her, (even) at her whose wall is unshaken? Therefore I go into Jesus’ presence; lo! she is about to enter His presence; and I shall say to Him thus: This woman is an harlot. Perchance He may reject and not receive her. And I shall say to Him thus: This woman who comes into Your presence is a woman that is an harlot. She has led captive men by her whoredom; she is polluted from her youth. But You, O Lord, are righteous; all men throng to see You. And if mankind see You that You have speech with the harlot, they all will flee from Your presence, and no man will salute You.

These things Satan spoke within himself, nor was he moved. Then he changed the course of his thought, and thus it was that he spoke. How shall I enter into Jesus’ presence, for to Him the secret things are manifest? He knows me, who I am, that no good office is my purpose. If haply He rebuke me I am undone, and all my wiles will be wasted. I will go to the house of Simon, for secret things are not manifest to him. And into his heart I will put it; perchance on that hook he may be caught. And thus will I say unto him: By your life, O Simon, tell me; this man that sojourns in your house is he a man that is righteous, or a friend of the doers of wickedness? I am a wealthy man, and a man that has possessions, and I wish like you to invite him that he may come in and bless my possessions.

Simon answered and thus he said to the Evil One after his words: From the day that (first) I saw Him I have seen no lewdness in Him, but rather quietness and peace, humility and seemliness. The sick He heals without reward, the diseased He freely cures. He approaches and stands by the grave, and calls, and the dead arise. Jairus called Him to raise his daughter to life, trusting that He could raise her to life. And as He went with him in the way, He gave healing to the woman diseased, who laid hold of the hem of His garment and stole healing from Him, and her pain which was hard and bitter at once departed from her. He went forth to the desert and saw the hungry, how they were fainting with famine. He made them sit down on the grass, and fed them in His mercy. In the ship He slept as He willed, and the sea swelled against the disciples. He arose and rebuked the billows, and there was a great calm. The widow, the desolate one who was following her only son, on the way to the grave He consoled her. He gave him to her and gladdened her heart. To one man who was dumb and blind, by His voice He brought healing. The lepers He cleansed by His word; to the limbs of the palsied He restored strength. For the blind man, afflicted and weary, He opened his eyes and he saw the light. And for two others who besought Him, at once He opened their eyes. As for me, thus have I heard the fame of the man from afar; and I called Him to bless my possessions, and to bless all my flocks and herds.

Satan answered and said to him, to Simon after his words: Praise not a man at his beginning, until you learn his end; hitherto this man is sober and his soul takes not pleasure in wine. If he shall go forth from your house, and holds not converse with an harlot, then he is a righteous man and no friend of them that do wickedness. Such things did Satan speak in his craftiness to Simon. Then he approached and stood afar off, to see what should come to pass.

The sinful woman full of transgressions stood clinging by the door. She clasped her arms in prayer, and thus she spoke beseeching:— Blessed Son Who hast descended to earth for the sake of man’s redemption, close not Your door in my face; for You have called me and lo! I come. I know that You have not rejected me; open for me the door of Your mercy, that I may come in, O my Lord, and find refuge in You, from the Evil One and his hosts! I was a sparrow, and the hawk pursued me, and I have fled and taken refuge in Your nest. I was a heifer, and the yoke galled me, and I will turn back my wanderings to You. Lay upon me the shoulder of Your yoke that I may take it on me, and work with Your oxen. Thus did the harlot speak at the door with much weeping. The master of the house looked and saw her, and the colour of his visage was changed; and he began thus to address her, (even) the harlot, in the opening of his words:— Depart hence, O harlot, for this man who abides in our house is a man that is righteous, and they that are of his companions are blameless. Is it not enough for you, harlot, that you have corrupted the whole town? You have corrupted the chaste without shame; you have robbed the orphans, and have not blushed, and have plundered the merchants’ wares, and your countenance is not abashed. From him your heart [and soul] labour [to take]. But from him your net takes no spoil. For this man is righteous indeed, and they of his company are blameless.

The sinful woman answered and said to him, even to Simon when he had ceased: You surely are the guardian of the door, O you that know things that are secret! I will propose the matter in the feast, and you shall be free from blame. And if there be any that wills me to come in, he will bid me and I will come in. Simon ran and closed the door, and approached and stood afar off. And he tarried a long time and proposed not the matter in the feast. But He, Who knows what is secret, beckoned to Simon and said to him:— Come hither, Simon, I bid you; does any one stand at the door? Whosoever he be, open to him that he may come in; let him receive what he needs, and go. If he be hungry and hunger for bread, lo! In your house is the table of life; and if he be thirsty, and thirst for water, lo! The blessed fountain is in your dwelling. And if he be sick and ask for healing, lo! The great Physician is in your house. Allow sinners to look upon Me, for their sakes have I abased Myself. I will not ascend to heaven, to the dwelling whence I came down, until I bear back the sheep that has wandered from its Father’s house, and lift it up on My shoulders and bear it aloft to heaven. Simon answered and thus he said to Jesus, when He had done speaking:— My Lord, this woman that stands in the doorway is a harlot: she is lewd and not free-born, polluted from her childhood. And You, my Lord, are a righteous man, and all are eager to see You; and if men see You having speech with the harlot, all men will flee from beside You, and no man will salute You. Jesus answered, and thus He said to Simon when he was done speaking:— Whosoever it be, open for him to come in, and you shall be free from blame; and though his offenses be many, without rebuke I bid you [receive him].

Simon approached and opened the door, and began thus to speak:— Come, enter, fulfil that you will, to him who is even as you. The sinful woman, full of transgressions, passed forward and stood by His feet, and clasped her arms in prayer, and with these words she spoke:— My eyes have become watercourses that cease not from [watering] the fields, and today they wash the feet of Him Who follows after sinners. This hair, abundant in locks from my childhood till this day, let it not grieve You that it should wipe this holy body. The mouth that has kissed the lewd, forbid it not to kiss the body that remits transgressions and sins. These things the harlot spoke to Jesus, with much weeping. And Simon stood afar off to see what He would do to her. But He Who knows the things that are secret, beckoned to Simon and said to him:— Lo! I will tell you, O Simon, what your meditation is, concerning the harlot. Within your mind you imagine and within your soul you said, ‘I have called this man righteous, but lo! The harlot kisses Him. I have called Him to bless my possessions, and lo! The harlot embraces Him.’ O Simon, there were two debtors, whose creditor was one only; one owed him five-hundred [pence], and the other owed fifty. And when the creditor saw that neither of these two had anything, the creditor pardoned and forgave them both their debt. Which of them ought to render the greater thanks? He who was forgiven five hundred, or he who was forgiven fifty? Simon answered, and thus he said to Jesus, when He had done speaking:— He who was forgiven five hundred ought to render the greater thanks. Jesus answered and thus He said: You are he that owes five hundred, and this woman owes fifty. Lo! I came into your house, O Simon; and water for My feet you brought not; and this woman, of whom you said that she was an harlot, one from her childhood defiled, has washed My feet with her tears, and with her hair she has wiped them. Ought I to send her away, O Simon, without receiving forgiveness? Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will write of her in the Gospel. Go, O woman, your sins are forgiven you and all your transgression is covered; henceforth and to the end of the world.

May our Lord account us worthy of hearing this word of His:— Come, enter, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom made ready for all who shall do My will, and observe all My commandments. To Him be glory; on us be mercy; at all times. Amen! Amen!

Source of original posting

Then God said “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness” (Gen 1:26).

Growing up, I recall lightly using this verse on at least a weekly basis. Whenever someone picked on an insecurity of mine, I’d wittingly use this verse as a rebuttal. If my Sunday school teacher asked me why I had to love everyone, I’d recite this verse back to them, always taking it for its literal meaning and never delving into the depth required to truly understand such a statement. A naïve teenager, I did not understand the gravity and responsibility that comes with being in the image of a God who is, as we say in the Gregorian liturgy the unutterable, the invisible, the infinite without beginning, the eternal, the timeless, the limitless, the immeasurable, the unchangeable!

So what does it mean to be in His image? More importantly, when others see me do they see the beauty of the Lord in me? (And I’m not talking about the physical, outwards appearance that we tend to always draw towards, but the beauty that the sinner woman saw causing her to fall at his feet, the beauty that caused even the blind beggar to cry all the more for help…a beauty beyond the eyes!). I strongly believe that it is when we truly grasp this reality that, as the contemporary song says: “God dwells in me, that’s my selfie, that’s my true self”, then and there we will fall to our knees in reverence of our amazing God. As David the Prophet eloquently puts it:

“I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

There are so many privileges and responsibilities that are part of being in the image and likeness of God. A major characteristic boasted about in the Christian life is the notion of free will. That being saved through the life-giving blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, I was released from the bonds and chains of sins; being able now to act through voluntary choice.

Firstly, it must be understood that it is because man was created in the image of God, who is entirely free, that we are also free through Him. We must never lose sight of this royal liberty, a right bestowed upon us as individuals in God’s image. Unfortunately, more often than not, amongst the storm of this world we forget this fundamental truth: that it is a gift given only to royalty. I’ll never forget the words a dear friend said to me once in the midst of my pains, “You are the child of a King, why are you afraid?!” Unfortunately, over the times, western culture has conditioned us away from the true meaning of freedom. The phrases, “Don’t judge me, I can do whatever I want” and “It’s a free country, I’ll do as I please” exemplify this misinterpretation.

Freedom to choose was never intended to be a scapegoat for us to do as we please, but a gift given from on high, allowing us in return to unite it with our Creator as an expression of our love. Christ knew the folly and limitations of our thinking, and we are warned that ironically our “freedom” can become our very own captivity.

as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. (1 Peter 2:16)

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)

The freedom that comes from being connected to the divine image was intended to give the individual their individuality, or to simply put it their uniqueness. It is because we are free, that we can express the divine image in our own distinctive, unique way.

Kallistos Ware says “within each of us there is a priceless treasure not to be found in anyone else… For each has a vocation for creating something beautiful in his or her own unrepeatable way.”

This. This is what He intended when He said “Let us make man in our image”; The freedom to express our love to Him in our own unique way.

I leave you with this question. Are you truly living free as one who is in His image?

I pray that God gives us the true freedom, which we can use to serve his glorified name, growing each day in His love.

This is a guest post by a dear BFA friend and past contributor Sara Malak.

One of the things the world ingrains in us as we grow up is that we must be afraid -mostly of the future and everything in it. We hear “strive to be the best! Be as successful as you possibly can be under any circumstances!” That way we don’t have to worry about failure (the fear of all fears!) So we grow up with a million and one shields protecting us from anything and everything. We knock down those who are not as armed as we are and trample on those who are silly enough to walk unshielded. Instead of living as creatures created for the kingdom of heaven, we live by the rules of the animal kingdom.

But maybe this is why our communities, friendships, churches, and families are hurting.

As persons made in the image of the triune God, we long for intimacy and connection. But these walls we build for ourselves harm us by distorting our true identity. We have become so accustomed to striving to be the best that we refuse and deny ourselves to be anything less than that. We build walls so high as if our brothers and sisters are Greek enemies threatening to invade our glorious city, Troy. But sometimes these walls go so high that we can barely see what lies beneath them. Whether that’s on purpose or not, we end up hiding a bruised, swollen, and inflamed wound that continues to bleed.

Christ calls, “Adam where are you?” We may be hiding in shame and fear but Christ has not left us; He left His throne and became human so He could sit with us in our pain and tell us “be of good cheer I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). By taking part in His death we receive His victory. There is nothing to fear, not even death. The Church awaits the coming of the Lord earnestly and peacefully, we are taught to die to the old man that we may live forever. As we pray in Vespers in the litany of the departed, “there is no death to your servants but rather a departure.”

To take a step and “dare greatly” as Dr Brene Brown puts it, I would like to invite you to take the first brick down of your walls of protection, while I do the same. Let us take a step in crucifying our ego to become who we are created to be. Opening ourselves to Christ in humility, vulnerability, and love. Placing our heavy burdens at His feet when it is easier numb the pain.

C.S. Lewis writes:

When we assent with all our will to be so known, then we treat ourselves, in relation to God, not as things but as persons. We have unveiled. Not that any veil could have baffled His sight. The change is in us. Instead of merely being known, we show, we tell, we offer ourselves to view… By unveiling, by confessing our sins and “making known” our requests, we assume the high rank of persons before Him. And He descending becomes a Person to us.

Let us come and sit with our precious Christ. Allow yourself to unveil, to be the Samaritan woman sitting with the Man who met her where she went to quench her thirst for connection and intimacy. She sat with the all knowing, all powerful, all loving God, but His authority does not intimidate, it invites, and His words don’t condemn or belittle, they call upward.

Ask the Samaritan woman, she’ll tell you about a Man who told her all things she’s ever done yet didn’t define her accordingly. She’ll tell you about a Man who praised her honesty when she was trying to hide her shame in a few words. She’ll tell you how gentle He was when she desired to open up to Him. She’ll tell you about a Man who looked her in the eyes and loved her while everyone else looked down at her. She’ll tell you how all her life she’d been shielding and arming herself yet in a few moments stripped herself naked to be clothed in Truth. She’ll tell you how liberated she felt the moment Someone finally knew the shame, darkness and sins she carried yet loved her more than she’s ever been loved before.

No wonder she ran telling people to “come and see a man who told her all things she’d ever done” it’s not like they didn’t know, but now she was willing to reveal herself to her community knowing her worthiness and true identity.

Self revelation or self-awareness alone is not sufficient, I may not trust my distorted view of things but in the light of Christ, I am able to separate the truth of who I am from the lies I have been told about myself. Only in the face of Truth can we claim our true identity. It is this assurance and full faith that granted the Samaritan woman courage to see her darkness and still be able to claim her worthiness, acceptance and belonging in communal intimacy with Christ and then her community. In the light of Christ, our struggles, weaknesses and sins do not shame us or define who who we are but prove how lovable we are.

Hiding oneself from God creates an invisible disease that not only divides our communities, churches and families but also leaves us emptier than ever. Christ prayed “that they may be one as We are one,” while He embraced and exposed His humanity in tears and blood. If oneness comes by self-revelation that requires a great deal of honesty and authenticity, so let us start by being honest with ourselves and with our God until we are courageous enough to be so within our communities.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:19-21).

Well, He’s dead.

In the end, they took Him and nailed him to a cross, watched Him suffocate under the weight of His own body, and then stabbed Him to make sure He was dead. Then everything seemed to go mad; the Veil of the Temple split down the middle, blasphemously revealing the Holy of Holies. The earth started shaking and the ancient dead burst from their tombs, as though strolling around Jerusalem was the most natural thing in the world after a thousand years of bodily decay. They say that if you put your ear to the ground, you can hear the whole netherworld beginning to creak and shudder; the dead are waking up, and the Devil is screaming.

It all seems a lot of fuss for one dead man. You can see Him there, moving down the path toward His tomb. He’s the bleeding bundle of cloth at the front of the group. The man holding His feet is Nicodemus; one of the wealthiest men in Jerusalem. The man holding His shoulders is Joseph of Arimathea. They’re both religious types — they’re even on an important religious council called the Sanhedrin, with sixty-nine other extremely religious men, which would definitely make them two of the seventy-one most religious men in Jerusalem.

That woman behind them, the one who can’t seem to stop crying, is called Mary. She comes from Magdala, and unlike Joseph and Nicodemus, she is not the religious type. We don’t know much about her, but we do know that when she first met her Teacher, her body was home to no less than seven spiritual parasites. They were old, terrible creatures who fed off her misery and desperation. Back then, she had had plentiful stores of both, though we don’t know precisely why. Perhaps she had done terrible things. Perhaps terrible things had been done to her. Perhaps a bit of both. At any rate, she was not what anyone would call a “pillar of respectability,” and it hadn’t helped her Teacher’s reputation to have her hanging around. But He was the one who freed her. All seven of her demonic tormentors had screamed and fled when He came along, and they never came back. Since then, she has followed Him; and she follows even now, when all that’s left to follow is a bleeding corpse.

There are others walking with them, following the blood-soaked bundle that was their Teacher. There are a couple of Mary’s present (but not the famous one), Salome, Joanna and Susanna.

Surprisingly, you are present too.

You’re part of your own procession, a larger one, invisibly leading Joseph, Nicodemus and their bloody bundle of linen towards the tomb. Your procession is headed by golden crosses on poles and at the very back, just in front of Joseph and Nicodemus, men are carrying icons of Jesus’ burial and crucifixion, being censed by bearded priests wearing golden cloaks. Although there are more people in your procession than in the ancient one behind you, yours is a good deal less serious. Where Joseph and the Mary’s are burying a brutally murdered Friend, you are attending a religious festival. The atmosphere is solemn enough, what with the icons and the incense and gold crosses on poles, but in your procession people are distracted, occasionally chatting to one another, making quick remarks about Uncle So-and-So’s chanting voice and what they’re going to eat once the service is over. They’re tired because they’ve been in Church for nine hours. Mary, Joseph and Nicodemus are tired because they’ve just spent nine hours watching their Friend asphyxiate and bleed to death.

And so the two processions make their way slowly to a new tomb in a garden; one decked in white and gold, the other wet with tears and blood. You seem to be in two places at once. On the one hand, you’re walking around your local Coptic Church holding a candle, singing “Lord have mercy” in a tune which seems deeply sad and deeply joyful at the same time (which is different, mind you, to being half sad and half joyful). On the other hand, in some mysterious way, you are also walking towards a garden in Jerusalem to put a blood-soaked corpse into a new tomb. Some would say you’re not really in the same place as Joseph and Mary and the bloody bundle; properly speaking, they would insist, you are in a Coptic Church on Good Friday. You might imagine that you’re following a group of first-century Jews to a new tomb outside Jerusalem, but imagining doesn’t make it true. That’s what some people would say. Perhaps they’re right. But those people have probably never been to a Coptic Church on Good Friday, and so we might wonder how they can be so sure.

As you walk around the Church in procession, you notice some of the tired faces around you. A few places ahead of you in the procession is the man who taught you to be a Sunday School teacher. Like Joseph and Nicodemus, he’s the religious type. He’s attended every Holy Week service so far, morning and night, and he knows more about the Church and its history than anyone you’ve ever met. He loves this kind of service. His eyes are always closed during the long hymns, not because he’s sleeping (although no-one would know the difference if he was) but because he’s contemplating the deep nuances of the ancient hymns. He’s also one of the kindest and most self-sacrificing people you’ve ever known. You can only see his back from where you are, but you’re sure that his eyes are closed now too, as often as he can manage it without crashing into anything.

The procession takes you up the back of the church, where a woman called Selena is leaning against a pillar. Selena still comes to Church for the big occasions, but she’s not really the religious type. She has a complicated history, which she doesn’t like to talk about. A combination of things she’s done and things that have been done to her have convinced her that she isn’t pious or holy enough to be a good, church-going Coptic girl. So Selena only comes on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, because the services are crowded and she can slip in the back without really being noticed. She doesn’t understand the long hymns, but she likes the processions. In the processions, Christ comes to her at the back of the Church, meaning she doesn’t need to wade through an ocean of harsh eyes and perfect people to get to Him. The priests and deacons carry Him around the whole Church, and she can even reach out and touch Him, like the bleeding woman in the Gospels. You meet her gaze as you pass her, but she looks away.

Over there in the corner is the kid you kicked out of your Sunday School class last week. You probably shouldn’t have lost your temper, but in your defence, he was being a royally arrogant little punk. He hit another kid hard across the back of the head, and when you yelled at him, he acted like he couldn’t even hear you. But you remember now that he’s Selena’s younger brother, and you don’t really know what his family is like. The one time you visited his house (your Sunday School mentor was with you that day) you noticed that his mother was limping. The father was in the house but he didn’t come out to say hello. In the car on the way back, your mentor said, “Pray for them. Especially for the father.” You didn’t ask for details. You hadn’t been thinking of that when you kicked him out. You should probably talk to him later.

As the procession takes you through the church pews, you see the faces of your friends, your teachers, your relatives, even one of your old crushes. Mostly you don’t acknowledge them; sometimes, you exchange a quick smile or nod. You have seen these faces nearly every week for years; at liturgies and fundraisers and functions, at fantastically failed church plays, at homeless drives and hospital visits, soccer competitions and youth camps. But it strikes you all of sudden, how strange it is to be here with all these people. I mean, in one sense, it’s no surprise that the usual people would turn up to Church on Good Friday, as they have done for years. But in another sense, it all seems like a strange coincidence that these people, with whom you’ve spent so much time doing such boring, normal things, should be present with you at something so important. This is no parish camp or trivia night; you’ve all come here to bury God. That bloody bundle of linen behind you contains the Firstborn over All Creation, the Word of God, the Father’s Wisdom and Power. Now that He is dead, the whole Kingdom of Death is being overthrown; angels are pouring down into Hades to join the coup. You’d expect burying God and the overthrow of Hades to be a unique and monumental occasion; something totally removed the mundane existence you carry out day by day. And yet, there is your old mentor, your punk Sunday School kid, your old crush, your friends, the woman who heads the Sunday School service, the man who runs the bookshop, the lady who makes sandwiches on Sunday mornings.

You reach the end. Joseph and Nicodemus lay down their load and let the women pour a last libation of myrrh and spices on Him. Your parish priest is with them, sprinkling rose petals as red as the blood seeping through the linen. You remember that those hands, sprinkling rose petals, are the hands with which he played volleyball at your last camp. Now, he is using them to anoint the body of God for its burial. You look around at the tired, familiar faces, watching Abouna wrapping the tiny icon in white cloth. No-one is joking now. They are either singing, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal” or saying nothing. And again, you are surprised that you should all be together here, at this place where the whole world turned upside down.

When all is done, Joseph and Nicodemus seal up the tomb, locking their Teacher in Hades to do battle with its dark prince. Abouna kisses the door of the tomb and begins to read Psalms while the ancient mourners go home to weep and ponder the spectacular disaster that had become of all their hopes and dreams. Selena slips quietly out the back. Your old Sunday School mentor stands in the sanctuary, eyes closed and arms folded. When the chanting stops, your class punk is unusually quiet in his corner seat; he is praying that God will teach his parents how to love each other. You realise that you’re glad they were all here with you, to see God die and come to rest in the earth.

It’s only as you leave that you realise who had been walking next to you in the procession. He never said a word, but He had directed your attention as you walked; He had pointed wordlessly to Selena, to your old mentor, to your Sunday School child. And He had looked back at you from inside each of them; from the peace that hung around your old mentor, from Selena’s downcast eyes, especially from your little punk Sunday School kid. When you reached the end of the procession, you watched Him wrapped in linen and sealed behind the black curtains of the sanctuary. But even then, somehow, He hadn’t left your side. He was walking beside you while He was borne behind you in burial clothes; just as He was still in the bosom of His Father even when He went to the depths of Hades. You realise now that it is no coincidence that you were all here together. You have things to do.

And He’s not dead.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 3:2)

But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion (1 Corinthians 7:9).

There are many things to love about the Bible. Aside from the abundant, life-giving Truth that God’s word provides on every page, I’m continually impressed by the conceptual harmony and ideological symmetry of Scripture. As an artist, I appreciate the vast beauty of the Biblical narrative which not only reveals the Creator’s plan and purpose for mankind, but does so via an impossibly well-crafted poetry. I write “impossibly” because, as we know, the text’s wide timespan of origin and varying authorship (around 1500 years and more than 40 writers) is, considering the consistency of the message, some of the best evidence that the Bible could not have been a product of purely human enterprise.

With that down, I’d like to express the thing that I, personally, value most about the Bible; straightforwardness. While the mind of man could never comprehend all that God is, God was gracious enough to inspire dozens of men from various epochs and backgrounds (kings, prophets, doctors, fishermen…) to write down His ideas and intentions in a manner that even the least educated reader could generally grasp.

This brings me back to 1 Corinthians 7:9 and the sometimes awkward subject of lust and marriage.

In today’s Western culture of unchecked, personal expression and market-driven hype, innumerous ideas about sexuality are relentlessly and constantly (I write that literally) being pushed at us while, at the very same time, we are, confoundedly, told that sex is a simple, natural, human act; no big deal. Which one is it? Those of us in the Church often take in God’s revelation within earshot of our increasingly secular society’s contrasting beliefs and typically find the process of reconciling all of this information to be frustratingly impossible because while the Lord’s Word is straightforward, the world’s viewpoints are inconsistent and confusing.

Taking five minutes to watch just about any station on our television will quickly reveal the modern media’s willingness to overtly champion sexual gratification of almost any kind as enjoyably healthy but, on the other end of things, God’s Word has given us a definite context for sexuality. Any of us who matured within the Church were taught, particularly during adolescence, that sexual activity was to be limited to marriage and that those who were able to hold out until their wedding day would not only be doing the right thing, but would be blessed for their efforts.

Therefore, we were instructed that our flesh would have to be subdued with dedicated fury to defeat the world’s aforementioned temptations and reach the promised land of wedded bliss. So, as teenage hormones raged, the battle-lines were drawn and many young Christians took on the foe of fornication with varying results hoping, somehow, to make it to “I do” because, logic would seem to follow, married sex would solve all the problems of lust. After speaking to a number of married Christian men, this does not always seem to be the case.

I have surmised that one of the problems which the pre-nuptial, Christian ‘hold-out’ mentality presents is a feeling that sexual activity of any kind (entertainment choices, mental imagery, physical actions…) is simply a stop-gap solution to help let off steam until the wedding night. For those who are struggling to maintain their purity, it can seem perfectly understandable if they, as individuals who are generally attempting to abstain from sinful conduct, entertain a little indulgence from time to time, especially considering that they’re only doing so because they don’t yet possess a proper outlet for their desires. Plus, some may be so ashamed to discuss their feelings, they deem it safer to deal with these tensions in private and on their own terms rather than seek help and potentially upset or offend their clergy, parents or potential partners.

With these and other obstacles to chastity set into place, some Christians accepted a compromised ethical view of sexuality which allowed them to dabble in certain immorality with the intention of straightening the whole issue out on their honeymoon. If my writing is too vague, I’m basically alleging that a number of Christian men (I don’t feel comfortable speaking for women although I’m confident their story isn’t altogether different) convinced themselves that it was allowable to participate in sexually illicit behavior while they waited for their wives to step onto the scene because, in part, a sinful world had convinced them that they were missing out on all the gratification they deserved. Whether it was pornographic fantasy or actual sexual activity, many believers consistently peeked into a perceived world of forbidden sensuality like a young child gazing up at a rollercoaster he’s too short to ride.

With that image in mind, I believe there’s a serious problem with this entire approach to purity and it speaks to a fundamental misunderstanding about sex. While our sexual desires may have an appetite or anticipatory excitement level, sex is not food or entertainment (or an amusement park attraction) and, unfortunately, many newly-wedded, Christian men found out that they’d developed a hunger that couldn’t be quenched within the intimacy of marriage. In fact, some fell into a deep and unexpected despair when the thought-patterns they’d developed in singlehood didn’t quickly disappear after they put on a ring. It’s likely that they had mistakenly assumed that what they’d stored up in the back of their minds was energy to be exercised on the wedding bed but, in reality, that information was something else entirely. In fact, many had even let themselves delve deeper into licentiousness prior to their wedding because they assumed those illicit, mental images were a problem soon to be solved like those of a severely parched traveler in view of a spring but, again, sex isn’t that simple.

Sex is an Almighty God’s creation and the act, plus everything that comes along with it, is extremely powerful, both physically and psychologically, so it cannot be reappointed and exploited to suit our individual, human ambitions or sate particular attractions. The Creator gave mankind the gift of sex with His purposes in mind so when it is taken out of God’s context and utilized for our own objectives, even well-intentioned ones, sex can be highly damaging, precisely because of its power. Without God’s Lordship over our bedrooms, sex is often put to use with unrealistic and inappropriate aims.

Some may misguidedly employ sex to achieve a sense of validation or positive personal appraisal while others view sex as a means to strength or vitality, manhood if you will. Men’s sexual fantasies often involve women submitting to males who dominate their ladies with cool confidence and physical expertise. Women sometimes take part in sexual acts with hopes of gaining security in their partnerships or to feel valued or desired by a person they love. While many of the reasons listed above reflect a desire for basic human fulfillment, sex was not given to us as a simple outlet to that end; only a personal relationship with God can accomplish this need. And when sex is misappropriated as a means to fulfillment, it eventually leads not only to failure but to gradual, self-destruction because

“Whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18)

All of this leads me to what I’m ironically calling ‘The Big Solution’; marriage.

One of the problems with any Christian newlywed expecting marital intimacy to counteract the unhealthy and Godless sexual ideas that they’ve cultivated during singlehood is that NO wife or husband could possibly live up to the imaginative, sensual invention of a flesh-driven, human brain. So, because of the eventual disappointment and lack of contentment that naturally occurs when an appetite isn’t satisfied, one partner may begin to resent or blame the other for not meeting their expectations or for failing to make the proper sexual efforts. Even if the frustrated partner recognizes that their own erroneous thinking is responsible for the calamity, he or she will often retreat back into fantasy to deal with the dilemma because, sadly, they assume there’s nowhere else to turn.

Thus, instead of having one terrible problem, they now have two; an unsatisfied appetite and an unhealthy, dishonest and non-connected partnership. In all probability, there will also appear a stinging sense of regret and depression when a Christian discovers, a little too late, that God gave us commandments involving sexual behavior and purity of thought so that our unions could be protected and blessed, not because he was trying to keep us from having a good time. Where does one go from here? Hope may seem lost but, fortunately, we serve a graceful God who specializes in dealing with hopeless, fallen people.

Before I go any further, I should mention that I’m not at all qualified to be teaching or giving out advice (James 3:1 is one of my favorite verses), I much prefer to be analytical about the catastrophic foibles of human behavior and let others clean up the mess. But, I do, in this case, feel comfortable pointing in the direction of the supreme problem-solver, Jesus Christ. I believe that only a close and completely honest relationship with the true and living God of the universe can bridge the gaps and fulfill the desires about which I’m writing and, as always, our pathway to that relationship is Jesus. As all believers will attest, Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross and save us from our sin, but He also lived to be our Lord. He suffered hardships, endured trials and faced temptation so that He could help guide us through this thorny field of landmines we call human existence.

As the scripture reads,

“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18)

and while Jesus’s sexual battles are not specifically mentioned in the Bible, I confidently assume that He, being a fully fleshed man, faced these challenges like the rest of us. In the desert, the Lord shot down Satan’s overtures, in the garden of Gethsemane, He submitted to the Father’s will and on the cross, He pushed through the unimaginable pain of Sin’s weight; I’m fairly certain that He battled with testosterone as well. We, like our Lord, must also fight the good fight to overcome our flesh.

Whether we like it or not, this is war. Hopefully, we’re all familiar with Biblical passages that instruct us to “flee from lust” (2 Timothy 2:22), “cut off our hands” (Matthew 5:30) and cast out demons “with prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). These verses tell us that the only means to defeating the enemies with which we wrestle are hard work and determination fueled by the grace of Father, the example of the Son and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit. When we seek the Almighty’s guidance for our lives, we quickly find it in both His Word and the teachings of accomplished believers but while the available strategies may be readily accessible, they are often difficult to follow so, like many things Christian, the solutions are simple but not easy.

At some point in your Christian education, you might have been presented with the teaching that sex is like a pleasant fire which heats the marital abode but, as the lesson goes, we must keep the flames in the fireplace (marriage) lest we incinerate our home. This simple object lesson is profoundly true and I would humbly add that wanton carelessness cannot only burn down our own house but entire neighborhoods and towns as the uncontrolled flames of sensuality spread when we’re in contact with others (“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” James 3:5) because the unfortunate reality of our situation is that any spark of lust has the potential to become a three-alarm, all-consuming inferno.

First off, we need to be honest with ourselves. The struggles I’m attempting to flesh out (no pun intended) feel inherently private because, generally, they begin with a Godless fantasy which develops inside the quiet recesses of our mind before it festers, mutates and implants itself deep within the psyche so that we are no longer able to distinguish it as a foreign invader. However uncomfortable it may be, we must take a truthful, personal inventory and assess who we are, what we’ve been exposed to and the present condition of our hearts and minds with regard to sex. We will need trustworthy partners in this battle; friends, family, priests, pastors, spiritual mentors and, most importantly, our wives and husbands. We will sometimes struggle to confess certain difficulties to our marriage partners because we don’t want to hurt them or, sadly, give them ammunition to criticize us but even in difficult situations, complete trust and transparency is necessary for healing and revitalization.

In many cases, we have been, for a very long time, pretending that our raging, tempestuously lustful sin is nothing exceptional or unusual and that we’re perfectly capable of managing it without assistance. We may also have had some success convincing ourselves that these actions are not, in any significant fashion, hurting anybody else so, the logic goes, the problem can’t be all that bad. This, of course, is a classic lie and a devious ploy of our enemy because, in truth, if we destroy our own life, we will negatively affect everyone and everything around us.

I’d also like to make clear that when it comes to sex-related pitfalls, I am not merely referring to pornography and fornication. Our adversary uses any and every available device to lure us away from the good things of God, so if we hope to outmaneuver the ‘Father of lies’ and overcome our own sin nature, a compromised thought life will not suffice. As Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi reminds us,

“…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things (Phil 4:8)”

So, whether we’re listening to music, watching a film, joking around with friends, privately contemplating our own desires or quietly reminiscing about the past, we must be vigilant, mental gatekeepers guarding all the ideas that enter our minds. If we are careless and lazy with regard to mental intake, the destructive and deceitful concepts of the world will slowly seep into our subconscious and, before we realize what we’re thinking, we will have begun to live out concepts and attitudes that will fail us when our Christian lives are on the line. This may sound dramatic but, again, if we are completely honest with ourselves about the type of information that is being relentlessly propagated by Godless forces, we will see no other option than to fortify our souls and cultivate a healthy mindset with regard to sex; our future depends on it.

Now, this all might sound arduous, toilsome and harrowing but, happily, I’m convinced that the good news far outweighs the bad. God has a tremendous blessing for the lives of those who obey Him and wonderful, restorative powers to help return those of us who have strayed back to His path. I am confident that those who make a heartfelt effort to obey the Lord will be graciously provided with God’s strength and aid in large quantity and from every direction. We must never forget that God revealed His wisdom and commandants for our benefit and joy, not to randomly restrict us or keep us from having fun, and when we follow His instructions for any area of our life, we will surely experience the fullness and joy He intended for us.

Numerous, scientific tests and secular surveys have revealed that faithful and dedicated, Christian married people experience a far more satisfying sex-life than most non-Christian couples, this does not surprise me a bit. As someone who has worked in the music and entertainment industry all of my adult life, I’ve witnessed countless individuals sprinting full-speed into anchorless, thrill-seeking, sexual behavior and, as time passed, my observation is that every one of those people who recklessly engaged in a promiscuous and permissive lifestyle wound up at a callow, depressed, directionless and, ironically, pleasure-free endpoint. Not only that, those who made these kinds of choices typically took their spouses and children down with them because even when they begrudgingly curtailed their actions for the sake of family stability, they found themselves unhappily laboring to experience peace or joy in even the most advantageous circumstances. Again, God gave us a better way.

As I stated earlier, I am not qualified to map out the exact steps or best techniques for combatting the difficulties described above so I can only take this discussion so far. However, I will wholeheartedly state that if we are going to experience victory in this struggle, the Church Body (all of us), as a whole, MUST place a special focus on this issue and reach out to those who are battling sexual sin with a humble, grace-driven spirit of love, acceptance, openness and sympathy. This problem will not be going away any time soon and no Christian should have to feel fearful, ashamed or embarrassed to admit to his or her struggles as though this particular sin were especially heinous.

While matters of this sort can be awkward and seemingly humiliating, we must never forget that

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of the Lord” (Romans 3:23)

Jesus proclaimed

“I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman in order to covet her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28)

which should remind us that before the eyes of God, every single one of us is guilty of a stonable, lust-related offense and has no right to look down our nose at anyone else. Quite frankly, when it comes to this concern, we desperately need each other’s compassion and empathy, not the traditional, stigma-fueled condemnation and finger-wagging of faux-fundamentalism. Together, we can combine the gifts we’ve all received from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) to strengthen each other and provide guidance and education for those who are vulnerable in this fallen world. And when it comes to those who have already stumbled, we must never forget that it is our Christian duty to help facilitate support and healing to fellow brothers and sisters who are being held down by the weight of this oppressive, Godless force.

“…you may not know how to say it out loud: “I thought it would be easier.” And your God comes near: I will provide the way. You may not even know who to tell: “I thought it would be different.” And your God draws close: I will provide grace for the gaps. You may not even know how to find words for it: “I thought I would be…more.” And your God reaches out: I will provide Me.

God gives God. That is the gift God ultimately gives. Because nothing is greater and we have no greater need, God gives God. God gives God and we only need to slow long enough to unwrap the greatest Gift with our time: time in His Word, time in His presence, time at His feet…

Now I know. Now I know. Since You did not spare Your only Son, how will You not also graciously give us – even me – all things You know I need? (Romans 8:32)

Now I know. Now I know, because You have not withheld from me Your Son, Your only Son. Now I know how You love me…Jesus, the Gift, comes to give freely though His passion what every other god forces you to get through your performance.”

Ann Voskamp

“There are two paths that lead to God: the hard and debilitating path with fierce assaults against evil, and the easy path of love. There are many who chose the hard path and ‘shed blood in order to receive the Spirit’ until they attained great virtue. I find the shorter and safer route is the path of love.

That is, you can make a different kind of effort: to study and pray and have your aim to advance in the love of God and of the Church. Do not fight to expel darkness from the chamber of your soul. Open a tiny aperture for the light to enter, and the darkness will disappear. The same holds true for our passions and desires. Do not fight them, but transform them into strengths by showing disdain for evil.”

Do not choose negative methods to correct yourselves. There is no need to fear the devil, hell or anything else. These things provoke a negative reaction…The object is to live, to study, to pray and to advance in love…” Elder Porphyrios