Many today think and hold to the idea that salvation is more or less like a math equation. X + Y= Z. Of course this cannot make sense because what happens if the answer is not Z? Rather salvation is not a state of being but a state of becoming. Life is always a state of becoming. Society has made us comfortable with everyday terms like "done" "finished" "graduated" and the list goes on. However, as good as all of these things are and I am not bringing these concepts down because they are good-instead I am suggesting that for the general purpose, life should not be reduced to an equation but rather a state of becoming-being perfected at every step we take.
Salvation then in the eyes of Orthodox theology can be summed up in the following: Salvation is not a state of being but a state of becoming-a constant movement toward union with God. This is a process that begins now and is perfected in heaven. The saints always realized that to work for perfection for there salvation it was realized in being united with God. This explains the tradition of the Jesus Prayer being passed down from one father to the next (Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner). We are all called to be saints however, by becoming saints we are in a constant state of awareness of sin because in the constant awareness of sin is when we realized that our weakness (sin) is perfected. As St. Paul says my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Vladimir Lossky writes the following:
"The deification or theosis of the creature (human) will be realized in its fullness only in the age to come, after the resurrection of the dead. This deifying union has, nevertheless, to be fulfilled ever more and more even in this present life, through the transformation of our corruptible and depraved nature and by its adaptation to eternal life". "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, Page 196.
Father Thomas Hopko writes the following:
"St. Gregory said that there are two differences between God and us: "God is the archetype and we are the image"; "Gos is the Being, and the Super Being, and we are becoming," that is, "God is an inexhaustible abyss and we are an inexhaustible possibility of growth." Therefore the human spirit is an inexhaustible as the Being of God. The growth in perfection is, thus, the human perfection, It is not as if, "keep on trying and some day you will be perfect," but Gregory of Nyssa said, when you try, when you are growing, then you are perfect. Then you are as perfect as a human can be, because the growth is perfection, the movement towards perfection, is in fact what it means for the human to be perfect...whatever stage you reach there is literally an infinity of possibility for growth still before you...That is the character of what it means to be created in the image and likeness of God".
The saints (which includes all of humanity if we are willing to accept this call) are called to live out this life in Christ in the world. We are constantly working towards this perfection in God because beauty and goodness proceeds from God. If creation is good then we must live and become part of this creation in order to realize our potential in the hope and faith to be united in God. By constantly living out the life of prayer and liturgy will union with God be realized and attained in the life of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment