I hope to have the time to do a “walk through Lent” on my blog, like I did last year. It was nice to be able to share about the Lenten season in the Orthodox Church leading to and preparing us for the “Feast of Feasts”, Pascha! Many of my online friends will be experiencing Lent and Pascha for the first time as Orthodox Christians.
~Running the Good Race!~
Dear Fathers, Parish Faithful & Friends in Christ,
The current Olympic Games held in Torino, Italy, were initially of no particular interest to me. I don’t remember hearing much about them until about a week before they began. But once under way, I confess to have actually watched a good deal of the first week’s competition. The high levels of excellence achieved and displayed by the athletes; the spirited competitiveness of the events; the international flavor imparted by the participants; and the unfolding of unexpected dramas that further elevate or deflate the Games’ competitors, combine in a unique and attractive manner for a viewer like myself. Each sport seems to have its own peculiar attraction when up on the screen. (Yet somehow the “sport” of curling stands out in marked isolation. It either lifts you up into the rarified atmosphere of incomprehensibly esoteric rules and refined sportsmanship; or it makes you wonder: is not this the missing wonder drug for insomniacs?) However, I have to admit that the passivity of the viewing experience is in marked contrast to the energy of the athletes!
This inevitably raises the old theme – already found in the New Testament – of making an analogy between the training of the committed athlete (or soldier), and the “training” of the Christian committed to the life in Christ. Certainly, there exists an almost universal admiration for the dedicated athlete who will live in semi-monastic isolation from the world in order to perfect his/her skills to the highest level conceivable. Life is put on hold and “the world” is temporarily forsaken for the goal of the singlemindedness essential to ensure absolute proficiency. Discipline and moderation in food and drink must be maintained, as the body must be fine-tuned. No sacrifice is seen to be too great. In fact, the greater the sacrifice made, the greater the mystique surrounding the athlete. In the pursuit of excellence (and gold) the athlete will pour out ”blood, sweat, and tears” if necessary. All of this willingly embraced for the goal of mounting the podium and having a gold, silver or bronze medal draped over one’s neck in recognition of victory. This is the stuff of modern day heroes and heroines. (Somewhat deflated today because even the eyes of the most dedicated athlete may be looking forward to the lucrative endorsement contracts virtually guaranteed by success). Be that as it may, I find a great deal in the dedicated athelete for genuine admiration. (But I am no fan of Bode’s).
Since there is “nothing new under the sun,” this image of the ideal athlete was found in the ancient world in which the Olympic Games began and flourished. St. Paul employed the above model in his reflections found in I COR. 9. In direct reference to the Isthmian Games held in Corinth every three years, St. Paul writes the following:
Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize?
So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to
receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box
as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I
myself should be disquaulified. (I COR. 9:24-27)
Images of running and boxing, two of the most popular atheletic contests of the time, are combined in this passage. The apostle will “pommel” his body if necessary so that he will not be “disqualified” as he “races” for the imperishable crown of the high calling in Christ Jesus. A laurel wreath or a gold medal can only serve as the dimmest of images compared to the imperishable life with Christ in His Kingdom.
We will soon enter the arena of the lenten struggle. Great Lent begins two weeks from today on March 6. We will become ascetics, that is persons in “training,” who will practice discipline and moderation in what we eat and drink, and in the activities that we pursue. We will guard our minds and bodies from soul-destroying deeds, words or thoughts. We will stive for victory over our passions, so that liberated from their bondage, we can experience the freedom that is found in Christ. We will strive for singlemindedness and simplicity as we concentrate our time and energy on Christ. To some extent, we will withdraw from “the world” so that we can concentrate on the Scriptures, prayer, our personal relationships, and the liturgical services particular to Great Lent. We will have to push ourselves so as to overcome our laziness and desire for unending comfort. We will have to “deny ourselves” and take up our personal crosses. We will have to place God and neighbor at the center of our lives, and not our “selves.” And none of this will be easy.
This may raise the following legitimate questions: can we match the intensity, desire, and dedication of the athletes that we so much admire and perhaps are watching right now? Can the “imperishable wreath” of the Kingdom be even more important for us as Christians, as the “perishable wreath” of victory for the athlete? And are we willing to put our minds, hearts, and strength into the struggle? If we fail to take Great Lent as seriously as the athlete does his pursuit of gold, then we will need to re-evaluate our commitment to the Christian life. But if we do, then the words of the Scriptures will strenghten us accordingly:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside
every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is
set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set
before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne
of God. (HEB. 12:1-2)
