October 23, 2019
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear Friends,
It is an honor to address the New York Board of Rabbis this morning,
and I am sincerely humbled by your invitation as a special guest. In
opening, I would like to offer you my best wishes on the joyful feast of
Sukkot, which celebrates the authentic hospitality and shelter provided
by God for the Israelites in the wilderness as they escaped from
slavery in Egypt. The sukkah becomes a sign of hope and blessing as it
is a place of life, joy, and togetherness during the time of the
celebration. The symbol of God blessing his people during their
forty-year journey through the desert exemplifies several aspects of our
spiritual journey on earth, from subjection to our passions to the
freedom granted by our faith in a just and loving God.
In a different but related way, Orthodox Christianity has always
celebrated “hospitality” as a blessing from God. God is our only
shelter, our safe haven. In Greek, the word for hospitality,
“φιλοξένια,” which literally translates as “friend of the stranger,”
also has a deeper meaning. Hospitality is considered one of the highest
virtues because of the great respect and honor traditionally bestowed by
hosts on their guests. Let us remember the episode in the Book of
Genesis chapter 18 when the three men were welcomed by Abraham. But in
reality, who welcomed whom? That question recently came to mind as I
studied Marc Chagall’s famous painting of the scene, which represents
three angels turning their backs on the visitors in such a way that they
are the ones welcoming the stranger who was yet to come, with their
view opening onto a red desert. God hosts those passing by and covers
them with the grace of relationship on their way to freedom.
The Orthodox Church has many historic ties to Judaism and to the
Jewish people. During the Second World War, the people of Greece and the
Orthodox Church fought for their Jewish brothers and sisters, saving
many of them. In the past, for a period spanning several centuries, the
Mediterranean region experienced a peaceful cohabitation of Jews,
Christians and Muslims. This experience demonstrates that people from
different religions can live together, finding the fundamental message
for humanity which unites, instead of being a source of division. It
shows that religions can serve as bridges between people, and as
instruments of peace, of mutual comprehension, of tolerance between
human beings and of inter-religious dialogue.
Since 1977, representatives of the Orthodox Church and of Judaism
have met regularly in international meetings marking the desire for
rapprochement and better mutual understanding. The Orthodox Church calls
for fidelity to our common roots, for the necessary openness to the
deepening of dialogue, which is essential for the life of our
communities, as well as for the protection of religious freedom.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends,
Last May, H.A.H. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited
Auschwitz-Birkenau, in Poland. In the history of humanity, very few
places have inspired so much terror, abomination and horror.
Auschwitz-Birkenau encapsulates what humankind, moved by pure hatred,
can do to dehumanize and desacralize the image of God in each and every
person. He stated in particular that, “Unfortunately, the ongoing
outburst of religious fundamentalism and terrible acts of violence in
the name of religion, give to the modern critiques of religious faith
arguments against faith, and support the identification of religion with
its negative aspects. The truth is that violence is the negation of the
fundamental religious beliefs and doctrine. True faith does not release
humans from being responsible for the world, for respecting human
dignity and for struggling for justice and peace. On the contrary, it
strengthens the commitment of human action, it enlarges our witness for
freedom and human core values.”
Also, let us reflect on the words of Martin Luther King Jr.:
“Darkness cannot drive away the darkness. Only the light can do that.
Hate cannot extinguish hate. Only love can do that.” To fight
Anti-Semitism, hatred, and discrimination of all kinds, we all must be
involved. The role of education and family is very important indeed, but
religious communities also have a key role to play as partners in
dialogue. Allow me to quote here what the Encyclical of the
Holy and Great Council of the Orthodox Church, convened in Crete in June
2016, says about interreligious relations: “Honest interfaith dialogue
contributes to the development of mutual trust and to the promotion of
peace and reconciliation. The Church strives to make ‘the peace from on
high’ more tangibly felt on earth. True peace is not achieved by force
of arms, but only through love that ‘does not seek its own’ (1 Cor
13.5). The oil of faith must be used to soothe and heal the wounds of
others, not to rekindle new fires of hatred.” (par.17)
For all these reasons, I am happy to be here with you today and to
share in the joy of today’s feast as a sign of God’s protection and love
for us as represented by this beautiful sukkah, but also as a
sign of our shared brotherhood in humanity. I am deeply grateful to the
New York Board of Rabbis for its kind invitation.
Thank you for your kind attention, your generous hospitality, and Happy Sukkot!, Chag Sameach! [which means: Happy Holidays]