Something Old, Something New – a Father Andrew homily
Romans 7:6
The following homily was delivered to the Antiochian Archdiocese Convention in Los Angeles in the summer of 2001. I was assigned this verse (much to my dismay) and given a limited time. By God’s mercy, the opportunity was truly a blessing.
Your Eminence, Metropolitan PHILIP; Your Eminences; Your Graces; Fellow Clergy; Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
St Paul wrote to the Romans, “… we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”
We are all familiar with the analogy of the Christian life as a journey – a pilgrimage. We speak, sometimes, of travelling along a road … or sailing the sea … or of climbing a ladder.
St. Paul was certainly conscious of his own spiritual journey and spoke often of personal experiences in moving from Judaism to Christianity. His teaching reflects his awareness of growth and change.
To the Philippians, “… forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press on toward the goal …” (Philippians 3:14).
To the Corinthians: “… we all with unveiled face … are being transformed into the (image of Christ) from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (II Corinthians 3:18).
Likewise, here to the Romans: “… we have been delivered from the Law …. so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:6).
St. John Chrysostom said that “we have been freed from the Law with a view to being servants again, though not in the same way, but in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter”.
As we process through each stage of the journey, new things appear before us. To be successful, we must keep our eyes on the road ahead and our minds on the things above.
When I was 16 years old, I learned a lesson that has affected my life more than I would ever have imagined – and which seems to be relevant here. I was making my final practice drive before taking the license exam the next day. It was a rather deserted country road just south of Atlanta behind the steering wheel of a 1952 Plymouth. My Dad had given me the usual set of instructions …. sit up straight; adjust your mirror; see the accelerator, the clutch, the brake … and watch for that mailbox up ahead.
As we began moving, I felt good and confident; over the past few months I had learned how to get started and keep it going – I could drive. Then Daddy said again, “Remember the mailbox”. And again, and again … “Do you see the mailbox?”, “Don’t hit the mailbox”, “Watch out for the mailbox”, You’re going to hit the mailbox!”. Oh, I watched the mailbox all right. I kept my eye and my mind on that mailbox. And had it not been for a last-second lunge and his quick turning of the wheel, we would have, indeed, crushed that mailbox.
Meaning no disrespect to my father, he was serving in the “oldness of the letter”. I knew we were not supposed to hit the mailboxes; but I also knew that I wasn’t out there just to miss the mailboxes. Our aim was to stay on the road and get to where we were going!
The letter of the law gives us starting instructions for our journeys and warns us of obstacles and distractions which will surely beset us on our way. But it also constantly calls our attention to our failures and unceasingly reminds us of the mailboxes lurking at the roadside. What the letter does not do is direct our thoughts to the road ahead and encourage the vision of reaching the goal.
So, when we serve in the oldness of the letter, we serve with a view like that of Moses. He was charged with bringing a people out of bondage … a people who had been oppressed for over 400 years – robbed of dignity, depleted in humanity. They had existed and grown in numbers, but they had not lived and matured. So, God said to Moses, “Bring My people out of Egypt…” (Exodus 3:10), and Moses brought them out – out of bondage and hopelessness. He did it by the letter … the words and commands from God’s mouth and God’s finger. He laid before the people all these words which the Lord commanded him. And they said, “All that the Lord has spoken, we will do.” (Exodus 19:8).
They faltered and even rebelled from time to time, but their obedience to God’s law brought them out of Egypt, through the wilderness, to the Jordan … the threshold of the Promised Land.
We all are on such a journey – a spiritual pilgrimage of stages – from darkness to light, then from light into the glory of Christ our Lord. The letter helps us in the first, but it will fail us in the second. It will bring us out of darkness, but it does not take us into glory.
The Church also sets a letter before us …. Scripture, canons, commandments … which capture our hearts and liberate us from spiritual bondage and darkness. The discipline and dogma of our Faith constrain us to face our sins and wage war against the passions that abide within us. Success on our spiritual journey is largely dependent upon a good start in adhering to the letter of our Holy Tradition and holding fast to the Apostolic Faith.
But we do not continue in the oldness of the letter, because our vision is not one of exodus but of entrance. It is not just getting out of Egypt; it is entering into the heavenly kingdom. It is not focusing on our sin; it is forsaking our sin. We are not content to be plodding through the wilderness; we are called to be present at the wedding. And that does not happen by the letter but by the Spirit.
The Letter commands us …. but the Spirit converts us. The Letter charges us …. but the Spirit changes us. The Letter finds fault in us … but the Spirit feeds faith in us. The Letter teaches us …. but the Spirit transforms us.
St. John Chrysostom said, “It is not the letter that condemns … but the Spirit that helps.”
We, therefore, should serve one another in the Spirit, bearing one another’s burdens, edifying one another, forgiving one another, stimulating one another to love and good deeds. In the newness of the Spirit, we walk as children of the light together – serving with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law (Ephesians 5:22,23).
For 35 years, about as long as St. Ignatius guided the holy church in Antioch, Metropolitan Philip has led this Archdiocese … bringing so many of us out of darkness and into the true light. “Thank you, Sayidna (term of personal respect).” At times it has been necessary for him to apply the letter of the law … to do away with our ignorance and pride; to get us headed in the right direction. However, he has also wisely served us in the newness of the Spirit – encouraging, energizing, and empowering us to commend ourselves and each other and all our life to Christ our God. Through his leadership, together with our bishops, our eyes are not fixed on those mailboxes but on the road ahead … on Him who sits upon the throne and says, “Behold! I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Fr. Andrew
Note: During that convention, Metropolitan Philip was honored for his 35th anniversary as Archbishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. He was an exceptional leader who really cared for his people. He was always kind to Kh. Dannie and me. May his memory be eternal.
About The Author
We walk as children of the light together 😊
Father Andrew, what a beautiful, inspiring and uplifting from the letter , which instructs and admonishes, to the awakening into the Spirit of God who gives us our hope and glory, Jesus Christ. I loved and learned from your necessity which led your into true obedience and divine wisdom from Him. Thank you for sharing this outstanding homily!
Thank you, Father Andrew! Your homily was much needed and is much appreciated!