We have arrived at the Sunday of the Last Judgement, in which Christ teaches us that heaven and hell have to do with the fulfillment of each other’s physical and spiritual needs.
As we seek to serve each other in His Name and by His Grace, or as we fail to do so, we experience degrees of true life or degrees of darkness – realities that become permanent beyond the grave.
Through the Gospel and His Ministry, Christ has taught us both by example and teachings (Parables) that the main virtues of Orthodox Christians are faithful obedience and the loving service to God and to each other.
It has been said, that the home, the Parish Church and the Kingdom of God might be thought of as a need-fulfillment center, for Christ has given us all the inner gifts necessary and the outward means to find fulfillment of all our needs through Him, through family, friends, Church, other people and creation.
We must accept by faith all His gifts, and let us use them according to His love in helping others. When we see Christ in each other, our eyes are opened to recognize His renewing power at work in our lives. We experience the presence of God’s eternal Kingdom already in our midst.
For God is love, and whoever lives in love, lives in union with God and God lives in union with Him. You see love is made perfect in us in order that we may have courage on the Great Day of Judgement.
God does not cause judgement at any time, for God is love, and by His very nature He cannot do what is evil, hateful, or destructive to anyone. You see, as we commemorate the Sunday of the Last Judgement, judgement results when we willfully shut off ourselves from God’s redeeming love. Yes, there is judgement, both temporary and eternal, but we judge ourselves, for judgement and hell are spiritual conditions of sin and darkness.
