Sunday, October 9, 2011
On Slander
Source
Our Orthodox Faith has everything we need to grow and be healed.
We all, at one time or another, have been victims of unfair criticism
and judgment. Unfortunately, most of us have at some time said or
thought something negative about someone else. Our Church has
a spiritual cure for this problem.
As a general rule, we should never accept it when anyone comes to us
with negative ‘information’ about our brother. A fragment from a Church
Father from the 2nd century (Antonius, Book 2 Sermon 69) states,
“Never be afraid of the slanderer who addresses you. But rather say;
“STOP, brother; I daily commit more grievous errors, and how can I
judge him?”
For you will gain two things, healing with one plaster both yourself and
your neighbor. He shows what is really evil. Whence by these arguments,
God has contrived to make each one’s disposition manifest”.
It is not virtue what moves that person to speak against his or her brother but the evil one, the passions. St John Chrysostom says that even when the gossip is true, it is still slander because the intention is to destroy our brother. If there is something that needs our assessment we should go to our spiritual father and ask him. We should also trust our priest, the man that will answer to God for our soul, with the government of the house of God and whatever evaluation and course of action that any particular situation requires.
But more often than not, what is spread around is a lie. St John
Chrysostom in his explanation of the Gospel of St Matthew
says; “Wherefore not those that are slandered but the
slanderers have need to be anxious and to tremble. For
the former are not constrained to answer for themselves
touching the evil things that are said of them, but the latter
will, for the evil they have spoken. So that the persons
censured should be without anxiety, not having to give
account of the evil that others have said; but the censurers
have cause to be in anxiety, and to tremble, as being
themselves to be dragged before the judgment seat in that
behalf. For this is indeed a diabolical snare, and a sin having
in it no pleasure, but harm only. Yeah such a one is laying up
an evil treasure in his soul. Do not now, I warn thee, seize
upon the privilege of the Only Begotten (Jesus Christ). For
Him is the throne of judgment reserved”.
In the Homilies on First Corinthians, St John states; “Bearing in mind these things therefore let us have a care of our own members, and not sharpen the tongue against one another, nor speak words which may do hurt, undermining the fame of our neighbor, and as in war and battle, giving and receiving blows. For what after all is the good of fasting or watching, when the tongue is drunken, and feasts itself at a table more unclean than of dog’s flesh, when it is grown ravening after blood and pours out filth, and makes the mouth a channel of a sewer, nay rather something more abominable than that?
For “Judge not” said He “that ye be not judged” Matthew 7:1 since he too who spoke evil of the publican was condemned, although it was true which he laid to his neighbor’s charge.
But hast thou a fancy to avenge thyself on the other person? Why then punish thyself instead of him? Nay do thou, who art so earnestly seeking redress from those who have annoyed thee, avenge thyself as Paul recommended to take vengeance; “If thy enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirst, give him drink (Rom.12:20) But if thou do not so, but only plot against him, thou pointest the sword against thyself. Wherefore if that other speak evil, answer him with praises and commendations.
St John Climacus in the Ladder of Divine Ascent p. 89-92 has some very important things to say, "Slander is born of hatred and remembrance of wrongs. I have heard people slandering and I have rebuked them. And these doers of evil replied in self defence that they were doing so out of love and care for the person whom they were slandering. I said to them; ‘Stop that kind of love, otherwise you will be condemning as a liar him who said; “Him that privaly talked against his neighbor, did I drive away” Psalm 3:5. If you say you love, then pray secretly, and do not mock the man. For this is the kind of love that is acceptable to the Lord.
But I will not hide this from you: Judas was in the company of Christ’s disciples and the thief was in the company of murderers. Yet it is a wondrous thing, how in a single instant, they exchanged places.
I have known a man who sinned openly and repented secretly. I condemned him as a profligate, but he was chaste before God, having propitiated Him by a
genuine conversion.
A charitable and sensible mind takes careful note of whatever virtues
it sees in anyone. But a fool looks for faults and defects. Do not
condemn, even if you see with your eyes, for they are often
deceived”.
Elder Ephraim writes in 'Counsels from the Holy Mountain' p.208
“Each person must bear the weaknesses of others. Who is perfect?
Who can boast that he has kept his heart undefiled? Hence, we are
all sick, and whoever condemns his brother does not perceive that
he himself is sick, because a sick person does not condemn another
sick person”.
"Spread your cloak over the man who is falling and cover him. And
if you cannot take upon yourself his sins and receive his chastisement
in his stead, then at least patiently suffer his shame and do not
disgrace him". St Isaac the Syrian, in Homily 51 of the 1st part as
quoted by Matthew the Poor in 'Orthodox Prayer Life' p.143 no.165,
St Vladimir Seminary Press, N.Y. 2003
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David, may I copy this post, its so beautiful. I have been hurt very much by people whom I used to work with and basically they drove me out of my workplace, since then I have never worked again. I am still hurting even after two years. I pray but my memory is full of pain and don't really know how it can be healed. I have prayed for them and only through Jesus forgiven them and their actions, but I am still hurting. Thank you for this post. God Bless you in abundance.
ReplyDeleteAnne:
ReplyDeleteI would like to suggest that you read my post
"The Foolishness of the Cross: Love your Enemies"
and think about the role of God's Providence in all that happens to us. It is not easy when we suffer harm because of the actions of others. May God give you peace of heart. You may copy this post,of course.
God bless you!
David
Dear David,
ReplyDeleteThe Foolishness of the Cross: Love your Enemies is the post which I am referring to, but unfortunately, I posted the comment in the wrong box. Sorry about that! I was moved by it very much. It seems that the Good Lord has guided me to this particcular post. Thank you for bringing it to my teary eyes.
Dear Anne:
ReplyDeleteOur goal is very difficult to achieve because it requires a lot of humility. God's Providence allows us to suffer harm at the hands of our enemies, that we may acquire the Love that is proper to God Himself, Who is merciful and kind to wicked and ungrateful men, and that by acquiring this Love, we may be transformed into His Likeness. May God help us!
Thank you David, I take solace and comfort from your words. May the Good Lord make us worthy of his Love.
ReplyDeleteDear David,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this beautiful post and reminding us not to slander our neighbor! I think the statement, "Him that privaly talked against his neighbor, did I drive away" might be Psalm 101:5 and the page numbers for the reference to slander by St John Climacus in the Ladder of Divine Ascent will depend on your translation and appears on page 48-49 of the English translation by Archimandrite Lazarus Moore (Harper & Brothers, 1959). God bless you!
Thank you!
ReplyDelete