|
|
|
Published by the
Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America,
July 2005
Archpastoral Reflections - July 2005 |
 |
 |
This month we consider the important task of
parenting. As we consider the demanding
responsibilities, rewards, and challenges of
parenting today, it is worthwhile to reflect
upon parental models that inspire confidence and
faith. In this effort, we are aided by numerous
examples of parents in the Holy Scriptures.
These figures are distinguished certainly by
their dedication to God, but even more so by
their commitment to providing lifelong spiritual
nurture and care to their children so that they
may mature, discern, and follow the will of God
for their own lives.
Consider for example the story of Esther and her
uncle Mordecai, who raised Esther as his very
own daughter. Having become queen in a foreign
land through an unusual turn of events, Esther
had a difficult time reconciling her role in
relation to her Jewish identity. In the midst of
a dramatic crisis, and in a state of confusion
and considerable anxiety concerning the fate of
her people, Mordecai’s words of counsel to
Esther to discern the will of God for her own
life were penetrating: “Who knows whether you
have come to the kingdom for such a time as
this?” (Esther 4:14)
This parental responsibility of providing
spiritual nurture and care to one’s children
repeats itself as a theme in numerous other
examples of parenting in the Holy Scriptures.
Here, another fitting illustration is the story
of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, which is
recounted in the first two chapters of I Samuel
(Septuagint I Kings). Hannah’s lifelong
nurturing of her son imbued him with a love for
the Lord that was both pure and strong.
Accordingly, in the midst of others who served
false gods, Samuel served the Lord, even as a
child (cf. I Samuel 2:12-18). Samuel found favor
with the Lord and with others, eventually coming
of age to live out the special and unique
purpose that God had planned for him and his
people.
From these two examples in the Old Testament we
catch a glimpse of the profound effect of a
parental figure upon a child. Similar other
examples abound in number throughout the Holy
Scriptures, such as Abraham and Isaac, Jesse and
David, and Elizabeth and John the Baptist, to
name a few. Each of these examples is rich in
content, capable of serving as welcome passages
for your own regular reading of the Bible as a
family. The important element held in common by
each of these examples, however, is their
contemporary application to the challenges of
modern parenting.
In our contemporary world, the need for
sustained parental guidance continues to be
pronounced. As parents and persons who are
called to fulfill parental roles, the task of
providing spiritual nurture to our children and
loved ones is manifold. As with Mordecai, this
task involves the offering of sound counsel that
emphasizes being open to God’s will. As with
Hannah, it presumes that in order to discern
God’s will for our lives and the lives of our
children, we need to be living our own lives in
prayer. As Orthodox Christians, healthy and
effective parenting also presumes that we live
our lives in close connection with God. Finally,
providing spiritual care to our children and
loved ones necessitates our elevating the
inherent dignity of the child. This involves our
careful balance of setting limits that allow our
children to grow in moral integrity, while also
recognizing that God calls every child to grow
independently as persons with a unique purpose
in life.
As you gather as families, I encourage each of
you to reflect upon these and other examples
through regular reading of the Bible as a
family. These examples inspire confidence in our
own abilities as parents. They encourage us to
be faithfully devoted to God and to be fully
committed to providing spiritual care and
nurture to our children and loved ones, even in
the face of uncertainty, confusion, doubt, or
anxiety. At the same time, these examples remind
us that while contemporary parenting is replete
with challenges, it is also replete with a
myriad of rewards and blessings. It is my
heartfelt prayer that the peace of Almighty God
may be with you and may give you strength as you
contemplate these challenges, rewards, and
blessings in your own lives as parents and as
persons called to be givers of care.
+ DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
|
