Priorities

Although the desert monks lived very austere lives,  but they were expected to greet every visitor as though Christ had come to their door. Today’s story is about how the revered Abba Moses the Ethiopian lived out that principle.

“In Scetis, there once went out an order that they should fast for a week, and then celebrate Easter. During the week some brothers happened to come into Egypt to visit Moses, and he cooked a little vegetable stew for them. A nearby hermit saw the smoke, and said to the clergy of the church, “What is that smoke? Moses must be disobeying the order, and cooking in his cell.” The clergy said, "We will talk to him when he comes." On Saturday, the clergy, who knew the greatness of his way of life, said to Moses in front of the whole congregation, "Moses, you have broken a commandment of men: but you have kept the commandments of God valiantly.”

I tell my congregation that the symbol of the cross was chosen wisely. Its vertical dimension represents our love of God, while the horizontal bar reminds us to love our fellow human beings. We are asked to keep two thoughts, two loves, at once, which is often hard to do. But love is like that – it asks us to stretch. Ask any parent. Loving a child expands us, sometimes to the breaking point. Deep love is rich, but often not easy. 

For those who seek to love more like God loves, running afoul of society’s expectations is often the price we pay. It seems obvious now that women deserve to vote. But, suffragettes fought for 50 years to achieve this, getting arrested, imprisoned and ridiculed over and over again. Those who demand that society be more loving, more inclusive, are often punished for breaking the commandments of men, as today’s story calls them. But the emancipation of humanity is not measured in increasing selfishness, but in loving as God loves, where the circle of inclusion is drawn ever wider. Like a simple stew served to visitors during a Lenten fast. Love comes first. Peace.

-Rev. Stephen Milton, Lawrence Park Community Church, Toronto

Source: The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks, (London, 2003),p.135.

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