A NEW YEAR, A NEW VISION
Fr. Anthony Salzman, ST. PHILOTHEA, Athens, GA

Based on the roar coming from the social hall this past Sunday, I could tell people were genuinely happy to be together and thoroughly enjoying each other. It makes my heart glad to see such joy and refreshment following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
“Let us love one another that with one mind we might confess” we say in the Divine Liturgy. The fact is, being of one mind takes vigilance and constant work because it is a quality that can easily be corrupted by
misunderstandings, impatience, selfishness, bitterness, unforgiveness, jealousy, resentment, pride, and the list of community breaking maladies goes on and on. So to hear the buzz of good conversation means that at least this Sunday, we have managed to escape the wiles of the evil
one. Can this attitude be sustained or does familiarity breed contempt? Do we take it for granted? Maturity requires that some people must put in some effort to make the environment for others to enjoy; that is just a fact. The more people that put in the effort then the less effort it takes from just a few. If we believe that there is something special and worth investing in then
each of us is called upon to do our part to sustain the high quality of fellowship that we enjoy. In the end we are called upon to serve Christ, and Christ has taught us that He is in our neighbor.
Therefore we serve Christ by serving our neighbor. No one wants to think of themselves as “selfish”, but that is what we are when we are stingy in sharing the care for our community, the body of Christ in Athens, GA. With a little effort from each of us, we will be refreshed by our
work, and edified by our efforts. But if we only take, then we come away with an anorexic soul and spirit, starved because of a lack of generosity. What we want to share with the rest of the Athens community is the joy of Christ as Orthodox Christians. “They will know we are
Christians by our love.” “See how they loved one another”. The roar of joy I heard on Sunday is the sound of people blessed by the Holy Spirit, full of the love of Christ, without enmity, strife or pride; in self forgetfulness loving one another. That is what our faith should do for us. Resolve this year to step out and do something in the Church. Get involved in a committee, offer your
services. It doesn’t have to be big; it just has to be something.

Have a blessed New Ecclesiastical Year.