Grace, life, and peace

                        Σωσον Κυριε τον λαον σου
                        και ευλογησον την κληρονομιαν σου,
                        νικας τοις Βασιλευσι
                        κατα βαρβαρων δωρουμενος
                        και το σον φυλαττων
                        δια του Σταυρου σου πολιτευμα.

Save, O Lord, Your people
and bless Your inheritance,
victory to the Kings
against barbarians bestowing
and to Your, protected
by Your Cross, Commonwealth.

More than ever, we need this prayer, both humble and bold in its petition, addressed to the King of kings of kings (Blessed be He!) Jesus Christ. We (most of us) live in God-protected countries, and though we are Christians, we are untried, except in small inconveniences, in the battle between Good and evil, even to the point where we are tricked into triviality and jaded by media superficiality, and watch without seeing the horror of our brothers being butchered in the Middle East. Our own personal Christianity we have let be marginalized by the indifference of our neighbors, and deprived of the freedom to bring Christ into public life, we have no leaders who could be the Kings upon which our sung prayer invokes victory. In translating the original Greek, we are embarrassed to say ‘kings’—Βασιλευσι, vasilévsi—and substitute any other words we can think of. Yet, only a people who are, in Christ, a nation of kings can have Kings reigning over them, and leading them to victory over ‘the barbarians’—yes, βαρβαρων, varvaron, ‘barbarians’, another word that embarrasses us, and we water down in our denatured translations. So much for those of us who are Orthodox Christians, but this applies to other Christians as well.

The irony of it is that of the world that calls itself ‘Christian’ very few are what they say they are—“Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)—but it is Christians like those of Mosul who actually are what they say they are, and so they are being persecuted and killed. Whatever else may be true of the Church, it is always true that the suffering Church is the true Church. Not that those of us privileged to live in societies that are indifferent to Christ aren't Christians, but that until we encounter suffering head-on, whether our own or in others, and choose our response, we cannot be sure if we really are Christians or not. Being willing to die rather than convert to Islam or any other forced regime is seen as the ultimate witness for Christ, but even that cannot be taken as a general rule. Where the blood of martyrs can become the seed of the Church, then this kind of martyrdom is indicated. Where the blood of martyrs is used to de-Christianize a society (as is happening in the Middle East), then another course, or courses, of action is required. We have yet to discover just what that course of action is, but without Christian, and compassionate, leaders, perhaps we never will.

Σωσον Κυριε τον λαον σου
και ευλογησον την κληρονομιαν σου,
νικας τοις Βασιλευσι
κατα βαρβαρων δωρουμενος
και το σον φυλαττων
δια του Σταυρου σου πολιτευμα.

Sóson, Kyrie, ton laón Sou, kai evlógison tin klironomían Sou,
nikas tis Vasilévsi katá varváron dhoroúmenos,
kai to son phylátton dhía tou Stavroú Sou polítevma.

Save, O Lord, Your people, and bless Your inheritance!
Grant victory to the Kings against the barbarians
and to Your Cross-protected Commonwealth!

Yes, brothers, sing, pray and live this ancient hymn, that even our smallest efforts will have an impact in this current, tragic crisis, in which not only our brethren in the Middle East, but all over the world, being persecuted and killed by the antichrists—for whatever they call themselves or believe themselves to be, that is what they are—will be granted victory: grace, life, and peace.